Busan is good

Park Heong-joon, Mayor of Busan, Meets with Vietnamese President Lương Cường… Strengthening Exchange and Cooperation between Busan Metropolitan City and Vietnam

내용

Busan Metropolitan City (Mayor Park Heong-joon) announced that Vietnamese President Lương Cường officially visited Busan yesterday (November 1) after completing his schedule at the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) Summit in Gyeongju.

At the official meeting held at the KF ASEAN Culture House, Mayor Park stated, “Following the visit of General Secretary Tô Lâm of the Communist Party of Vietnam in August, I am deeply grateful that even the President has now visited Busan. With the establishment of the Consulate General of Vietnam in Busan, our city and Vietnam are closer than ever. Your visit to Busan after the APEC Summit in Gyeongju further highlights the deep friendship and cooperation between our two nations,” he said, extending his warm welcome.

The city has been actively promoting exchanges with Vietnam.
In August, Busan held events marking the 30th anniversary of the Busan–Ho Chi Minh City sister-city relationship and a business forum, and in September, senior Vietnamese officials visited Busan for a training program on urban development and climate crisis response, laying the foundation for cooperation in various fields.

Mayor Park further noted, “Vietnam is currently Korea’s third-largest trading partner, while Korea is Vietnam’s largest investor. About 14,000 Vietnamese residents live in Busan, and more than 5,000 Vietnamese students study here. They will serve as a strong bridge connecting the future of both nations.”

In response, President Lương Cường said, “It is deeply impressive to visit Busan, the economic and cultural center of Korea. Since the establishment of diplomatic relations in 1992, over the past 33 years, the comprehensive partnership between Vietnam and Korea has developed remarkably, and Busan plays a crucial role in strengthening bilateral cooperation.”

President Lương also attended several events on November 1, including the Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) signing ceremony between the Korea Foundation (KF) and the Vietnam Museum of Ethnology to promote artistic and cultural exchanges and joint exhibitions, as well as a meeting with the Vietnamese community in Korea at the KF ASEAN Culture House.

He expressed his appreciation, saying, “I sincerely thank Busan Metropolitan City and its officials for their special support during the establishment of the Consulate General of Vietnam in Busan. I hope this will serve as an opportunity to further strengthen cooperation with Vietnamese local governments and achieve even greater results.”

He continued, “Based on the achievements and potential of our long-standing cooperation, I hope intergovernmental exchanges in various fields such as ports and logistics will become even more active. I also wish for the successful hosting of the 2027 APEC Summit in Bắc Giang Province, Vietnam.”

President Lương further mentioned, “Currently, approximately 350,000 Korean nationals reside in Vietnam, while about 200,000 Vietnamese nationals live in Korea. I hope to strengthen cooperation so that the people of both nations can enjoy stable and prosperous lives, and I expect bilateral trade volume to reach USD 150 billion by 2030.”

He concluded his remarks by saying, “I wish Busan continued development and success, and hope that both our countries will advance together toward mutual prosperity, stability, and shared benefits.”

Finally, Mayor Park expressed his hopes once more: “I believe President Lương Cường’s visit to Busan today will further deepen the special friendship between our two countries and provide new momentum for economic, cultural, and human exchanges. Busan will continue to work hand in hand with Vietnam to open a path of mutual prosperity that extends beyond Asia to the world.”