SEOUL – General Director of Vietnam News Agency (VNA) Nguyễn Đức Lợi lauded the growing Việt Nam-Republic of Korea (RoK) ties in diverse areas during a meeting with RoK Prime Minister Lee Nak-yon in Seoul yesterday.

Lợi introduced the role and function of the VNA and underlined the need to enhance information sharing between the VNA and the RoK’s Yonhap news agency.

He said Vietnamese people pay close attention to the RoK and its people so the two news agencies have a responsibility to deepen mutual understanding between the two countries.

PM Lee, for his part, wished that the VNA and Yonhap would continue serving as bridges to promote bilateral ties. He also conveyed his thanks to the Vietnamese Government for facilitating RoK businesses’ operations in Việt Nam over the years, as well as providing support for Korean people in the country.

The same day, General Director Lợi had talks with Yonhap President Sung-boo Cho. Lợi wished Yonhap would share its experience in the use of artificial intelligence in news production, adding that VNA is ready to assist Yonhap in opening a Vietnamese page on its website.

As a national news agency, the VNA is responsible for providing mainstream information for foreign news agencies and willing to help Yonhap correspondents cover news in Việt Nam, he said.

He invited Yonhap President Cho to the 44th meeting of the Organisation of Asia-Pacific News Agencies (OANA) scheduled for April 19-20 in Việt Nam.

Cho wished both sides would continue working closely together in information works.

On the occasion, the VNA General Director, Yonhap President, and Executive Vice Chairman of SK Innovation – the RoK’s largest chemical energy company – signed a memorandum of understanding on media co-operation for a mangrove forest restoration project in the Mekong Delta province of Trà Vinh.

During his visit to the RoK, VNA General Director Lợi made trips to the Vietnamese Embassy and Samsung Group. On February 19-20, the VNA General Director and his entourage will visit SK Innovation’s petrol refinery and tour the southern cities of Ulsan and Busan.

The working visit is at the invitation of Yonhap President Sung-boo Cho from February 17-21. – VNS