Also attending were Ms. Tran Hai Van, Deputy Director of the Department of International Cooperation, and Ms. Le Thi Hoang Yen, Deputy Director of the Vietnam Department of Sports and Physical Education.
The North Korean delegation included Mr. Kim Myong Gun, Chairman of the Korean Taekwondo Committee and Member of the Supreme People's Congress of the DPRK; Mr. Ri Sung Guk, Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the DPRK to Vietnam; Mr. Ri Yong Son, President of the International Taekwondo Federation (ITF), along with a delegation of North Korean taekwondo practitioners.
Deputy Minister Phan Tam speaks at the working session.
Extending a warm welcome to Mr. Kim Myong Gun at the meeting, Deputy Minister Phan Tam affirmed that the reception and working session was a meaningful activity on the occasion of the 75th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between the two countries. Vietnam and the Democratic People's Republic of Korea have a long-standing cooperative relationship. Close cooperation through sports, cultural, and tourism activities will help connect people with people, heart to heart.
"We all have a responsibility to preserve and cultivate the close and strong relationship between the two countries. The recent exchanges have helped young Vietnamese people learn more about the people, country, martial arts, and culture of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea. On behalf of the leaders of the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism, I sincerely thank Mr. Ri Sung Guk, Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea to Vietnam, and Mr. Ri Yong Son, President of the International Taekwondo Federation (ITF), for their initiative in organizing these exchanges," Deputy Minister Phan Tam expressed.
Overview of the working session
Not only Taekwondo, but in the near future, Deputy Minister Phan Tam hopes that other sports from the Democratic People's Republic of Korea will have opportunities for exchange in Vietnam, especially those in which they excel, such as Table Tennis, Basketball, and Athletics…
Thanking the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism and Deputy Minister Phan Tam for their warm welcome, Mr. Kim Myong Gun expressed: "Although we haven't been in Vietnam for long, we have already felt the deep affection and friendship between the two countries. Having felt the warmth of the Vietnamese people towards our delegation, we will convey this sentiment to the people of North Korea."
Kim Myong Gun, Chairman of the Korean Taekwondo Committee, speaks at the working session.
Recalling two important milestones in the diplomatic relations between the two countries – the meeting between President Ho Chi Minh and President Kim Il Sung during his first official visit to the Democratic People's Republic of Korea in 1957 and President Kim Jong Un's official visit to Vietnam in 2019 – Mr. Kim Myong Gun affirmed that exchanges between the two countries have entered a new phase.
Based on that foundation, Kim Myong Gun expressed his hope that Taekwondo would continue to spread further in Vietnam, and affirmed that North Korea is ready to cooperate closely in sending coaches and experts to participate in training and education in Vietnam.
Deputy Minister Phan Tam presented gifts and took commemorative photos with the delegation from the Democratic People's Republic of Korea.
In response to Mr. Kim Myong Gun, Deputy Minister Phan Tam also requested that the Embassy of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea in Vietnam pay more attention to supporting the reception of Vietnamese coaches and athletes to compete and train in North Korea.
The Deputy Minister instructed the Department of International Cooperation and the Department of Sports and Physical Education of Vietnam to closely coordinate with the Embassy of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea in Vietnam to further enhance exchange activities between the two countries in the fields of culture, sports, and tourism.
"With a rich tradition of 75 years of diplomatic relations between the two countries, we believe that close coordination in the coming period will be a good catalyst to promote even more vibrant cooperation in the fields of culture, sports, and tourism," Deputy Minister Phan Tam affirmed.
Source: https://bvhttdl.gov.vn/lam-day-hon-nua-cac-hoat-dong-giao-luu-van-hoa-the-thao-du-lich-giua-viet-nam-chdcnd-trieu-tien-20250424170722074.htm
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