President of the Republic of Korea Lee Jae Myung (left) and General Secretary of the Communist Party of Việt Nam Central Committee Tô Lâm review the guard of honour. — VNA/VNS Photo

SEOUL — President of the Republic of Korea (RoK) Lee Jae Myung and his spouse hosted an official welcome ceremony at the Yongsan Presidential Office on Monday morning for General Secretary of the Communist Party of Việt Nam (CPV) Central Committee Tô Lâm and his spouse, who are on a four-day state visit to the East Asian country.

A military band played the national anthems of both countries, and 21-cannon salute was fired during the ceremony, showing the RoK's high regard for the visit by the Vietnamese Party leader, his spouse and the high-ranking delegation. Then the two leaders reviewed the guard of honour.

Since the two countries established their diplomatic ties in 1992, the bilateral relationship has become a model of a very special, effective, and substantive partnership. It has reached its highest framework - Comprehensive Strategic Partnership - with a very high level of political trust, thanks to substantive cooperation in various fields that has brought tangible benefits to the people and business communities of both sides.

The RoK is currently Việt Nam’s largest investor and its third-biggest trading partner. Meanwhile, Việt Nam is the RoK’s top priority partner for development assistance.

President of the Republic of Korea Lee Jae Myung and his spouse welcome Party General Secretary Tô Lâm and his spouse at the ceremony on August 11. — VNA/VNS Photo Thống Nhất

As of May 2025, the RoK had 10,203 valid projects with registered capital totalling US$94 billion in Việt Nam, accounting for 23.5 per cent of all FDI projects and 18.1 per cent of registered foreign investment. Việt Nam currently has 112 investment projects in the RoK with total capital of $37.4 million. Bilateral trade reached $81.5 billion in 2024, up 7.3 per cent year-on-year.

Collaboration in culture, education, labour, tourism, and other areas has recorded significant achievements as well. In the fields of science, technology, and innovation, an area expected to become a new pillar of the bilateral relations, Việt Nam and the RoK have achieved many promising and encouraging outcomes.

As Việt Nam advances its major national development orientations, Party General Secretary Tô Lâm’s state visit to the RoK demonstrates the country’s foreign policy of independence, self-reliance, multilateralisation and diversification of external relations, and proactive, active, comprehensive, intensive, extensive and effective international integration. It is also an important diplomatic activity aimed at promoting the implementation of the Politburo’s Resolution No. 59 on international integration in the new situation. — VNA/VNS

President of the Republic of Korea Lee Jae Myung and his spouse welcome Party General Secretary Tô Lâm and his spouse. — VNA/VNS Photo Thống Nhất

President of the Republic of Korea Lee Jae Myung and his spouse exchange gifts with Party General Secretary Tô Lâm and his spouse. — VNA/VNS Photo Thống Nhất