On March 10, Standing Vice Chairman Nguyen Van Tho of the Ho Chi Minh City People’s Council received a delegation led by Vice Chairman Hwang Kyoung Ah from the Daejeon Metropolitan Council during their working visit to Ho Chi Minh City.
At the reception, Standing Vice Chairman of the Ho Chi Minh City People’s Council Nguyen Van Tho expressed his pleasure in welcoming the delegation from the Daejeon City Council, voicing confidence that the visit and working session would yield practical outcomes and open up promising prospects for bilateral cooperation in the coming time.
According to the Standing Vice Chairman, the Republic of Korea has remained one of Ho Chi Minh City’s most important economic partners for many years.
Currently, the Republic of Korea ranks as the second-largest investor in the city, with over 3,300 valid projects and a total accumulated foreign direct investment (FDI) of approximately US$15.7 billion. Bilateral import–export turnover between Ho Chi Minh City and the Republic of Korea in 2025 was estimated at around US$6.5 billion.
In addition, a community of more than 2,000 enterprises and approximately 80,000 Korean citizens living and working in Ho Chi Minh City has become an integral part of the city, contributing to its socio-economic development while serving as an important bridge in promoting cooperation and friendship between the two sides.
Standing Vice Chairman of the Ho Chi Minh City People’s Council Nguyen Van Tho emphasized that Ho Chi Minh City always attaches importance to strengthening cooperation with localities of the Republic of Korea, including Daejeon.
As Ho Chi Minh City is accelerating digital transformation, promoting the development of smart urban areas and an innovation-driven ecosystem, the Standing Vice Chairman highly appreciated the interest shown by the Daejeon delegation, particularly their sharing of information on the overall situation as well as commitments that have been and are being translated into practical actions.
Ho Chi Minh City expressed its desire to continue receiving attention and cooperation from Korean localities and enterprises, particularly in areas such as finance, urban development, innovation, seaports, logistics, industry, marine tourism, and coastal urban development.
Vice Chairman of the Daejeon Metropolitan Council Hwang Kyoung Ah stated that Daejeon is one of the Republic of Korea’s leading centers for science, technology, and economic development, home to numerous research institutes and high-tech enterprises. Daejeon hopes to strengthen cooperation with Ho Chi Minh City in areas where both sides have advantages and looks forward to further opportunities to expand development cooperation in the future.
During the working session, members of the delegation also expressed their interest in learning more about Ho Chi Minh City’s experience and strengths in social welfare policies. They proposed promoting exchanges and cooperation in this field in association with the socio-economic development of the two localities.
