State President Lương Cường (right) meets with Mayor of Busan city Park Heong-joon on November 1, 2025. VNA/VNS Photo

BUSAN — State President Lương Cường visited Busan city and met with its Mayor Park Heong-joon on November 1 afternoon, part of his working visit to the Republic of Korea (RoK) for the 2025 APEC Economic Leaders' Week and bilateral meetings.

Park expressed his pleasure at the flourishing relationship between the two countries across various areas, affirming that Vietnamese Party General Secretary Tô Lâm’s visit in August 2025, during which the establishment of Việt Nam’s Consulate General in Busan was announced, and President Cường’s trip will greatly help promote practical cooperation between Busan and Vietnamese localities.

President Lương Cường highlighted the official elevation of Việt Nam – RoK ties to a comprehensive strategic partnership in December 2022 after more than thirty years of diplomatic relations, saying that they have become each other’s leading partners in the region.

He emphasised the vast potential for bilateral cooperation, noting that both sides are striving to achieve the bilateral trade target of US$150 billion by 2030 in a balanced and sustainable manner.

The Vietnamese leader congratulated Busan on its achievements in becoming the RoK’s second-largest economic hub and the world’s fifth-largest port city. He expressed gratitude to the city leadership for their strong support for Việt Nam’s Consulate General in Busan.

He called on Busan to further expand cooperation with Vietnamese provinces and cities, particularly in the areas of its strengths such as seaport and shipbuilding.

On this occasion, President Cường expressed his hope that the Busan administration will continue supporting the Vietnamese community living, studying, and working in the city, thereby contributing to the city's development and strengthening its role as a bridge of friendship between the two countries.

Showing strong support for the President’s opinions, Park stated that Busan will keep working closely with Hồ Chí Minh City and other Vietnamese localities to enhance substantive ties in the areas matching both sides' strengths, especially seaport, shipbuilding, skilled workforce training, and tourism, thus contributing more to the RoK – Việt Nam Comprehensive Strategic Partnership.

The Mayor affirmed that Busan authorities stand ready to support Việt Nam’s Consulate General, while implementing policies to protect the legitimate interests of the fourteen thousand Vietnamese citizens in the city, helping them further integrate, contribute to local development, and serve as a friendship bridge between the two countries. — VNA/VNS