Party General Secretary Tô Lâm meets with Prime Minister of the Republic of Korea (RoK) Kim Min Seok during his state visit to RoK. — VNA/VNS Photo

HÀ NỘI — Prime Minister of the Republic of Korea (RoK) Kim Min Seok on Monday called for Việt Nam to facilitate Korean participation in major projects in the Southeast Asian country that could benefit from the use of advanced Korean technology, including nuclear power, digital and climate-resilient infrastructure and high-speed rail.

He made the remarks during a meeting with Party General Secretary Tô Lâm during the Vietnamese leader's ongoing state visit to the RoK, pledging greater grant aid, particularly for research, development and innovation.

At the meeting, Lâm briefed his host on the positive outcomes of his high-level talks with President Lee Jae Myung, during which the two sides reached a common understanding on major orientations and measures to comprehensively advance and deepen Việt Nam–RoK relations.

He stressed that Việt Nam continues to attach great importance to cooperation with the RoK and expressed the wish to work together to further deepen the Việt Nam–RoK Comprehensive Strategic Partnership.

The two leaders expressed appreciation for positive developments in bilateral relations, reflected in the regular exchange of delegations at all levels, especially high-level contacts. They noted that the two countries have become reliable partners through close strategic collaboration, with economic cooperation remaining a highlight.

The RoK continues to be Việt Nam’s top source of foreign direct investment (US$87 billion), the second-largest provider of official development assistance ($4 billion for the 2025–30 period) and the third-largest trading partner ($81.5 billion in two-way trade).

Both sides shared their views on promoting substantive, effective and comprehensive economic cooperation, strengthening mutual benefits and closely coordinating to effectively implement an action plan to achieve $150 billion in bilateral trade by 2030 in a more balanced manner.

General Secretary Lâm proposed that the RoK step up support for Vietnamese enterprises in accessing Korean e-commerce platforms, facilitate trade and market access to goods in both directions, and help improve the capacity of Vietnamese firms to participate more deeply in Korean businesses' global supply chains.

He encouraged Korean enterprises to build specialised industrial production complexes along the value chain, linking investment with technology transfer and workforce training to help Việt Nam develop an independent, self-reliant and internationally integrated economy.

The Vietnamese leader emphasised that science and technology, innovation, digital transformation and workforce training should become new pillars of bilateral ties. He expressed the hope that the two sides work together in developing strategic industries and to strengthen cooperation in telecommunications, information technology, e-government, biotechnology, climate technology, nanotechnology, and clean and renewable energy.

He also called for closer cooperation in digital transformation, including artificial intelligence and digital innovation policy-making.

The Party chief welcomed the signing of an extension to the Memorandum of Understanding on the Employment Permit System (EPS) between Việt Nam and the RoK, and proposed that the RoK support training skilled workers in fields like semiconductors, electric vehicles, biotechnology, shipbuilding and artificial intelligence.

He also asked the RoK government to consider simplifying visa procedures, moving towards visa exemption for Vietnamese citizens, to boost people-to-people exchanges and further develop bilateral tourism.

PM Kim confirmed that the RoK is actively considering measures to simplify visa issuance for Vietnamese citizens and will continue to strengthen support for foreign brides, including Vietnamese nationals, to help them lead stable lives in the RoK. — VNS