They discussed enhancing cooperation across various sectors between the two regions.
During the meeting, Mrs. Nguyen Thi Le expressed her pleasure at the positive and robust development of the Vietnam-South Korea bilateral relationship, which is clearly reflected in the substantial exchanges between the two sides in numerous areas, including politics, economy, trade, investment, culture, education, and healthcare.
For HCMC, South Korea is one of the closest and most reliable partners. It is currently the city's fourth-largest investor, with 2,196 active projects and a total investment of US$5.5 billion.
To date, HCMC has established friendly and cooperative relations with eight localities in South Korea, including Busan, Daegu, Seoul, and Incheon.
Since 2017, HCMC has established a relationship with Gyeongsangbuk Province. Over the years, both sides have regularly exchanged and promoted cooperation. In 2021, during the outbreak of the Covid-19 pandemic, Gyeongsangbuk Province made a commendable gesture by donating 250,000 medical masks to help the city combat the pandemic. In 2022 and 2023, HCMC had the opportunity to welcome several delegations of leaders from Gyeongsangbuk Province for visits and working sessions.
Additionally, the community of approximately 80,000 South Koreans and 2,000 South Korean businesses living and working in HCMC significantly contributes to the city's development and acts as a bridge to enhance cooperation between the two countries.
Introducing some aspects of the city's socioeconomic situation, Mrs. Nguyen Thi Le expressed her hope that Mr. Bae Han Chul and the Gyeongsangbuk Provincial Council would support HCMC in connecting with and attracting South Korean businesses and investors. She emphasized the desire to collaborate on new mutually beneficial models and projects, particularly in strategic areas such as infrastructure development, innovation, biotechnology, automation, new materials, green economy, and clean energy.
Both regions are renowned cultural and tourism centers. Building upon their respective strengths and needs, Mrs. Nguyen Thi Le proposed that the tourism authorities of HCMC and Gyeongsangbuk Province collaborate to introduce joint tourism products and projects, thereby enhancing and promoting tourism for both sides.
Highlighting the longstanding cultural exchange between South Korea and Vietnam, Mr. Bae Han Chul expressed confidence that the cooperation between the two countries would continue to develop further. He noted that Gyeongsangbuk Province, with a population of about 2.6 million, is a cornerstone for the information technology industry and high-tech agriculture.
Among the nearly 9,000 businesses investing in Vietnam, Gyeongsangbuk Province also boasts enterprises that partner with South Korean conglomerates in Vietnam. Gyeongsangbuk Province has established a representative office in HCMC to bolster cooperation and exchanges between the two regions.
Building upon the strong cooperation between the two countries and regions, Mr. Bae Han Chul expressed his hope that the Gyeongsangbuk Provincial Council and the HCMC People's Council would strengthen cooperation across various fields, contributing to advancing the South Korea-Vietnam relationship to new heights.
