General Secretary and President To Lam and South Korean President Lee Jae Myung shake hands before their meeting on April 22 - Photo: NGUYEN KHANH
President Lee Jae Myung's four-day visit to Vietnam took place exactly two weeks after General Secretary To Lam was elected President by the 16th National Assembly .
Mr. Lee became the first foreign head of state to visit, clearly demonstrating the weight of the bilateral relationship and Seoul's deep understanding of Hanoi .
This trip is also seen by observers as a comprehensive starting point for South Korea's diplomatic strategy with the Global South group of countries.
Vietnam in the broader picture
When General Secretary and President To Lam visits South Korea in August 2025, Seoul will reserve the highest level of solemn protocol for a head of state to welcome a Party leader.
A South Korean diplomat in Vietnam at the time remarked that this was clear evidence that Seoul truly understood Hanoi and the Vietnamese political system.
President Lee Jae Myung's visit continues that spirit and lays the foundation for a new, deeper, and more comprehensive bilateral relationship.
Since taking office, President Lee Jae Myung has made more than 10 overseas trips, including two to the United States and Japan.
The remaining destinations are mostly countries belonging to the Global South group – a term referring to emerging and developing countries in Asia, Africa, and Latin America.
However, those trips are often linked to multilateral conferences that Seoul attends, or are located en route to the event venue.
This visit to India and Vietnam is quite different. Wi Sung Lac, Chief of the Presidential Security Office, who accompanied the delegation, affirmed that this visit "signals the beginning of a comprehensive Korean diplomacy with Global South countries." And Vietnam – which receives the largest influx of Korean investment – is considered a crucial link in that strategy.
Once considered merely "aid recipients," the Global South nations have today become an increasingly influential group shaping global agendas. This shift is driven by their young populations, abundant resources, and collective strength within international organizations.
"Markets in the Global South not only offer strong growth potential, but also serve as important production bases for exports to Europe," a representative of a major South Korean business told the JoongAng Ilbo newspaper.
In the context of increasingly fierce great power competition, South Korea sees opportunities as a middle-sized nation.
According to Professor Kang Jun Young (Korea University of Foreign Studies), Seoul may not possess overwhelming power, but it offers proven experience and institutional capacity that many countries are seeking.
Therefore, South Korea has become a natural partner for many countries in their development journey. Professor Kang suggests that the approach needs to be refined according to each region: India is a strategic partner; Asian countries like Vietnam are partners in sharing development experience; Africa is both a future market and a partner in green growth; and Latin America is a center for digital cooperation and supply chains.
According to Kang, strengthening ties with the Global South group is not simply a diplomatic choice – it's a survival strategy for the South Korean economy.
Source: CHOSUN BIZ, STOCK ANALYSIS - Data: THANH HIEN - Graphics: TUAN ANH
Innovate together, prosper together.
In an exclusive interview with Tuoi Tre newspaper , South Korean Foreign Minister Cho Hyun affirmed: "Now is the most opportune time for the two countries to join hands in ushering in a golden era of shared prosperity."
Beyond simply investing in manufacturing, he stated that South Korea will share technology across a wide range of future industries such as artificial intelligence, semiconductors, and clean energy, while also training local human resources – creating a springboard for Vietnam's leap forward in the country's modernization.
Dr. Kwak Sung Il, Director of the Center for Emerging Economies Research at the Korea Institute for Foreign Economic Policy, commented that Minister Cho Hyun's statement reflects Seoul's commitment to elevating Vietnam to a key technology partner in the global supply chain.
"This marks the formalization of the South Korea-Vietnam relationship, moving beyond the traditional investment-for-labor dynamic and transforming it into a 'technological alliance and shared prosperity'," Kwak stated.
To realize this, according to Dr. Kwak, the core requirement is to localize advanced science and technology through collaborative training and talent exchange.
He suggested a viable model: the two countries would jointly train specialized human resources that Korean industries need in Vietnam, and then these individuals would be recruited by Korean companies.
This allows for the natural transfer of technology while simultaneously addressing the labor shortage faced by Korean businesses – a truly win-win strategy.
However, according to Dr. Kwak, even if South Korea immediately transfers advanced technology, that technology is likely to become obsolete without a functioning local ecosystem.
Therefore, Vietnam needs to strengthen the protection of intellectual property rights to meet international standards, and develop more businesses with the capacity to absorb and the willingness to localize technology. The education system also needs to be significantly expanded: allowing Korean technical universities to operate and train specialized talents in Vietnam; Vietnamese universities should proactively update their curricula according to the actual needs of Korean industry and establish "contracting offices" to ensure a stable supply of high-tech human resources for foreign businesses.
A series of cooperation documents between Vietnam and South Korea were signed.
On the evening of April 22, following a successful meeting, General Secretary and President To Lam and South Korean President Lee Jae Myung witnessed the signing ceremony of 12 cooperation documents between the two countries, spanning many key areas and reflecting the depth of the comprehensive partnership between Vietnam and South Korea.
Regarding science and technology, the Vietnamese Ministry of Science and Technology signed a memorandum of cooperation on digital technology and a master plan framework on science, technology and innovation with the Korean Ministry of Science, ICT and Communications; and also signed a memorandum of cooperation on intellectual property with the Korean Ministry of Intellectual Property.
Regarding energy, the Vietnam National Energy Corporation (PVN) and the Korea Energy Corporation (KEPCO) signed a cooperation agreement to develop a nuclear power plant. In addition, PVN also signed a memorandum of understanding on financing the nuclear power project with KEPCO, the Korea Export-Import Bank (KEXIM), and the Korea Insurance Corporation (KSURE). The Vietnamese Ministry of Industry and Trade and the Korean Ministry of Climate, Energy and Environment also signed a cooperation agreement on electricity infrastructure.
Other areas covered by the memoranda of understanding include: water security, animal quarantine, food, pharmaceutical and medical equipment safety, underwater heritage conservation, culture, sports and tourism for the period 2026-2030, and security cooperation between the Ministry of Public Security of Vietnam and the Presidential Security Service of South Korea.
Source: https://tuoitre.vn/viet-han-ky-nguyen-doi-tac-cong-nghe-moi-20260423081336685.htm
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