President Lee Jae Myung and First Lady Kim Hea Kyung arrive at Noi Bai International Airport in Hanoi, Vietnam, Tuesday (local time). Yonhap
President Lee Jae Myung arrived in Hanoi on Tuesday to begin a four-day state visit, following his trip to India, during which he is set to hold summit talks with Vietnam's top leader To Lam.
On Wednesday, Lee is scheduled to hold summit talks with To Lam, Vietnam's president and general secretary of the Communist Party.
He is the first foreign leader to travel to Vietnam since To Lam was elected state president earlier this month, consolidating the country's top leadership posts.
The two leaders are expected to discuss ways to strengthen energy security and stabilize supply chains for critical minerals amid global uncertainties stemming from the ongoing war in the Middle East, Cheong Wa Dae said.
The summit is also expected to pave the way for closer cooperation in nuclear energy and infrastructure, expanding the scope of bilateral economic ties, it added.
Vietnam has emerged as a key manufacturing hub for Korean companies and an increasingly strategic partner in efforts to diversify supply chains beyond China.
Bilateral trade reached a record high of $94.6 billion in 2025, with the two countries ranking among each other's top three trading partners. They aim to increase that figure to $150 billion by 2030.
On Thursday, Lee is set to meet Vietnamese Prime Minister Le Minh Hung, the No. 2 official, and National Assembly Chairman Tran Thanh Man, the No. 3 official, and attend a business forum to explore ways to bolster economic cooperation between the two countries. He plans to return home Friday.
Source: Korea Times News
