Lee Jae-myung Meets Vietnamese National Assembly Chairman During State Visit to Hanoi

President Lee Jae Myung met with Vietnam’s National Assembly Chairman Tran Thanh Man in Hanoi on Thursday, pledging to deepen cooperation in nuclear energy, infrastructure and broader energy sectors to support Vietnam’s development goals.

The meeting took place at the National Assembly House in Hanoi on April 23, 2026, as part of President Lee’s state visit to Vietnam. During the talks, President Lee emphasized South Korea’s commitment to serving as a “reliable partner” in Vietnam’s pursuit of becoming a modern industrialized country by 2030 and a high-income, developed nation by 2045.

President Lee highlighted South Korea’s own experience of rapid economic growth driven by intensive investment in nuclear power, transportation networks and transparent financial systems. He expressed hope that bilateral cooperation in these areas would help lay the foundation for Vietnam’s continued economic growth.

The Korean government will strengthen strategic cooperation with Vietnam in nuclear energy, transportation infrastructure and energy to jointly create what President Lee referred to as the “miracle of the Hong River,” referencing the main river flowing through Hanoi.

Chairman Tran Thanh Man welcomed President Lee’s state visit, noting it would provide fresh momentum for advancing bilateral ties between the two countries. He expressed hope for closer cooperation with Seoul to support Vietnam’s long-term economic development goals.

The meeting with the National Assembly chairman followed President Lee’s bilateral summit the previous day with Vietnam’s top leader To Lam, who serves as state president and general secretary of the Communist Party. During that summit, the two leaders agreed to expand cooperation in various sectors including supply chains, infrastructure and energy.

President Lee’s engagements in Hanoi represented a full round of meetings with Vietnam’s collective leadership, having met with the country’s second- and third-highest ranked political leaders – Prime Minister Le Minh Hung and National Assembly Chairman Tran Thanh Man – on Thursday, a day after his summit with President To Lam.

The discussions reflect the breadth of a partnership that has grown dramatically since diplomatic ties were established in 1992, spanning politics, economy, commerce, technology, culture and people-to-people exchanges. Bilateral trade between South Korea and Vietnam has increased 190-fold since 1992, while people-to-people exchanges have grown 2,400-fold.

Vietnam is now South Korea’s third-largest trading partner, while South Korea remains Vietnam’s largest foreign investor. Vietnam recorded an economic growth rate of 8.02 percent in 2025, its highest in 15 years, which President Lee cited as evidence of Vietnam’s success that South Korea wishes to share.

President Lee stated that Korea, as a trusted partner, wishes to stand together with Vietnam in achieving its development goals, pointing to Vietnam’s national vision of becoming an upper-middle-income country by 2030 and a high-income developed country by 2045.