Presentation by the Ambassador and Consul General of the Embassy of Korea in Vietnam

Previously, Associate Professor Dr. Hoang Anh Tuan (Vice Rector of the University of Social Sciences and Humanities) and representatives of the Department of Korean Studies, Faculty of Oriental Studies welcomed Ms. Lee Miyon. Associate Professor Dr. Hoang Anh Tuan expressed his gratitude for the support of the Korean Embassy as well as the Korea Foundation for the research and training of Korean Studies at the University of Social Sciences and Humanities. In the future, the Department of Korean Studies, Faculty of Oriental Studies of the University will strive to develop towards establishing an independent major. At the same time, the Sejong Korean Language Center continues to implement short-term courses, exams and granting international Korean language certificates (KPL), other courses related to Korean language and culture for Vietnamese people. Ms. Lee Miyon shared the efforts of the University and committed that the Korean Embassy in Vietnam will continue to connect with partners on the other side to promote the development of Korean Studies in Vietnam.

Associate Professor Dr. Hoang Anh Tuan presents a souvenir to Ms. Lee Miyon

Next, in front of a large number of staff, lecturers and students of the Department of Korean Studies, Faculty of Oriental Studies, Ms. Lee Miyon gave a presentation on the development of Korea and the Vietnam-Korea relationship.

Korea is a country with a very long history, starting with the Korean historical period. The ancient history of the Korean people lasted from 2333–108 BC. After that, Korea entered the Three Kingdoms period between the three kingdoms of Goguryeo, Baekje, and Silla. This period lasted from 57 BC to 676 AD, when Silla unified the three kingdoms. In 926, Korea fell into the Later Three Kingdoms period (892–935) with the three kingdoms of Later Goguryeo, Silla, and Later Baekje. The Goryeo Dynasty (918–1392) ended the division of the Korean Peninsula for nearly 1,000 years after seizing the throne of Later Goguryeo and annexing Silla and Baekje. In 1392, Goryeo collapsed and was replaced by the Joseon Dynasty (1392–1897) and then the Korean Empire (1897–1910). In 1910, the Korean Empire was annexed by the Japanese.

In 1945, Korea was freed from the Japanese fascist rule. In 1950, Korea fell into a civil war that lasted until 1953. Korea was divided into two parts, North Korea and South Korea. During the period 1953-1960, the Korean economy declined severely. However, in the period 1960-1980, Korea experienced a peak in economic development with an average growth rate of 8%/year. This was thanks to the government's economic reforms, the will of the people, and large investments in education. In 2017, Korea maintained economic growth at 3%/year, with a total GDP ranking 12th in the world and GDP/capita ranking 31st in the world.

For Vietnam, Korea officially established diplomatic relations in December 1992, which was also the year the country opened its embassy in Vietnam. In March 1993, Vietnam opened its embassy in Seoul, Korea. To date, Vietnam - Korea relations have gone through a journey of 25 years. In terms of economy, from 2011 to present, Korea has always been the largest foreign investor in Vietnam. In 2017, the trade turnover between the two countries reached 64 billion USD. Thanks to that, Vietnam is currently the 4th largest trade partner of Korea. The two countries hope to reach a trade turnover of 100 billion USD by 2020.

In terms of culture and society, the relationship between the two countries has also seen many encouraging developments. The Korean cultural wave (Hallyu) has had a significant impact on the daily lives of Vietnamese people through movies, television dramas and K-pop music products. In 2017, there were about 2.4 million Korean tourists in Vietnam and 323 thousand Vietnamese tourists in Korea. Vietnamese students highly appreciate Korean education, with nearly 15,000 Vietnamese students studying there in 2017. Also in this year, 43 Vietnamese-Korean multicultural families with 154 members were able to visit their mother's hometown in Vietnam. This shows that the two countries have many similarities in culture and society as they are both influenced by Chinese culture.

With the above achievements, Ms. Lee Miyon believes in the bright prospects of the Vietnam-Korea bilateral relationship. This is even more evident in the context of President Moon Jae-in's government implementing the Southern Policy, in which ASEAN in general and Vietnam in particular will become the highlight of Korea's foreign policy. This also increases the demand for labor for Korean businesses in this region. According to Ms. Lee Miyon, young Vietnamese people can seize the above opportunities to develop their careers, while contributing to the common development of the two East Asian countries.

After the presentation, Ms. Lee Miyon received comments and questions from Vietnamese students on issues such as the impact of the situation on the Korean peninsula on the employment opportunities of ASEAN and Vietnamese youth, the Korean government's policies to preserve traditional culture, the impact of the upcoming meeting between South Korean President Moon Jae-in and North Korean Chairman Kim Jong-Un, and the shift of entertainment industries to the South of Korea.