Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Lê Thị Thu Hằng (left) and Governor of Jeonbuk province Kim Kwan Yyeong. — VNA/VNS Photo

SEOUL — Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Lê Thị Thu Hằng on April 1 held working sessions with Governor of Jeonbuk province Kim Kwan Yyeong and Mayor of Naju city in Jeollanam-do province Bok Soo Kim within the framework of her working visit to the Republic of Korea (RoK), during which she assured them that the Việt Nam-RoK ties are now at the best development stage in history.

Hằng, who is also Chairwoman of the State Committee for Overseas Vietnamese (OV) Affairs, described the RoK as the biggest foreign direct investor in Việt Nam with a total capital value of US$86 billion. The two countries also enjoy active exchanges on various levels, including cultural interactions and high-level delegations.

Governor Kim Kwan Yeong, for his part, praised the Vietnamese community in Jeonbuk and Vietnamese brides in particular for taking care of their families and raising their children in multicultural households, contributing to the development of both countries.

The provincial authorities will continue improving policies in support of Vietnamese workers through simplified visa process, consider offering Vietnamese as a second language in local schools, and continue to support the stability and development of the Vietnamese community here.

Presenting Naju as a burgeoning city thriving in both industry and agriculture, Mayor Bok Soo Kim said the city needs skilled labour, while citing the presence of 16 major industrial conglomerates. He also mentioned Naju's recent labour agreement with Thuận Thành District in Bắc Ninh province and a twinning relationship established with Đồng Nai province in Việt Nam.

In reply, Hằng proposed that the host further boost cooperation in labour, trade and vocational training, especially for skilled workers from Việt Nam. She also urged continued support for the Vietnamese community living there.

While in the RoK, she attended the opening of the Vietnamese community office in Jeonbuk, and held meetings with the Vietnamese Associations in Jeonbuk and Jeonnam Gwang Ju.

The Vietnamese community in Jeonbuk now groups about 15,000 people, primarily students, workers and women married to Korean citizens. — VNS