President of the Republic of Korea (RoK) Lee Jae Myung with General Secretary of the Communist Party of Việt Nam (CPV) Central Committee and President Tô Lâm. — VNA/VNS Photo

HÀ NỘI – President of the Republic of Korea (RoK) Lee Jae Myung and his spouse left Hà Nội on April 24, concluding their successful four-day state visit to Việt Nam at the invitation of General Secretary of the Communist Party of Việt Nam (CPV) Central Committee and President Tô Lâm and his spouse.

During their stay in Việt Nam, President Lee and his spouse paid tribute to President Hồ Chí Minh at his mausoleum.

Party General Secretary and President Tô Lâm and his spouse, Ngô Phương Ly, hosted an official welcome ceremony and a state banquet in honour of the Korean guests.

The two leaders co-chaired a joint press conference to announce the outcomes of their talks and witnessed the exchange of twelve cooperation documents between the two countries' ministries and sectors.

As part of the visit, the top leader of Việt Nam and his spouse presided over a special friendship programme at the Thăng Long Imperial Citadel to welcome the RoK President and his spouse.

Prime Minister Lê Minh Hưng and National Assembly Chairman Trần Thanh Mẫn held separate meetings with President Lee. The Vietnamese Prime Minister and the RoK President also co-chaired a roundtable and the Việt Nam–RoK Economic Forum.

At the talks and meetings, Vietnamese leaders warmly welcomed President Lee, his spouse, and the high-ranking RoK Government delegation on their state visit to Việt Nam. They expressed appreciation for President Lee as the first foreign guest to pay a state visit following Việt Nam’s consolidation of its leadership after the 16th National Assembly election, stressing that the visit vividly demonstrates the strong, effective Comprehensive Strategic Partnership and a high level of political trust between the two countries.

The RoK President expressed his delight at revisiting Việt Nam and witnessing its dynamic development firsthand. He congratulated Party General Secretary Tô Lâm on being elected by the 16th National Assembly as President, and voiced his belief that under the leadership of the CPV, headed by Party General Secretary and President Lâm, Việt Nam will continue to achieve significant accomplishments in socio-economic development. He affirmed that the bilateral relationship is a special, close one like that between brothers, and pledged that the RoK will remain a reliable partner accompanying Việt Nam in its goal of becoming an upper-middle-income developing country by 2030 and a high-income developed country by 2045.

Building on the effective cooperation achievements in recent years, the leaders of both countries affirmed their willingness to further promote the Việt Nam–RoK Comprehensive Strategic Partnership towards a future of shared prosperity.

In a friendly and warm atmosphere, the two sides held in-depth discussions on each country’s situation, bilateral ties, and regional and international issues of mutual concern. They emphasised the implementation of a strategic vision on economic connectivity in the new context, striving to achieve a bilateral trade turnover of USD 150 billion by 2030.

In Hà Nội, the spouses of the two leaders visited the Việt Nam Museum of Ethnology. The RoK First Lady also attended the Korea Culture and Tourism Festival 2026 in Hà Nội, jointly organised by the Korea Tourism Organisation in Việt Nam and the Korean Cultural Centre in Việt Nam. During the visit, on the evening of April 23, the RoK President and his spouse strolled around Hoàn Kiếm Lake, enjoyed “phở” (traditional Vietnamese noodle soup served with chicken or beef) at a restaurant on Đinh Liệt street, tasted Thủy Tạ ice cream, and explored the streets of the capital city.

The state visit to Việt Nam by RoK President Lee and his spouse took place at a time when bilateral relations are at their strongest development stage ever, helping usher in a new phase with long-term strategic orientations. — VNS