Jun Ji-hye, a reporter at the finance desk of The Korea Times, focuses primarily on economic policy and government agencies, mainly covering the Ministry of Finance and Economy, the Ministry of Budget and Planning, the National Tax Service and the Korea Customs Service. She previously covered financial authorities, including the Financial Services Commission and the Financial Supervisory Service, and earlier worked on the political, city and business desks, reporting on a wide range of issues.
PM celebrates 20th anniversary of diplomatic ties with Vietnam
Prime Minister Kim Hwang-sik, center, speaks at a luncheon to commemorate the 20th anniversary of diplomatic ties between Korea and Vietnam at his residence in Seoul, Wednesday. Among those attending were Tran Trong Toan, right, Vietnamese ambassador to Korea, and Luu Thi My Ha, deputy director of the overseas Vietnamese group in Korea. / Courtesy of Prime Minister’s Office
By Jun Ji-hye
By Jun Ji-hye
Prime Minister Kim Hwang-sik held a luncheon Wednesday for Vietnamese figures living in Korea to celebrate the 20th anniversary of diplomatic ties between the two countries.
At the meal at the prime minister’s residence in Seoul, Kim acknowledged those who have made efforts to strengthen the two countries’ close relationship.
Among the guests were Tran Trong Toan, Vietnamese ambassador to Korea; Luu Thi My Ha, deputy director of an overseas Vietnamese group in Korea; and Thien Tam Hong, who is studying in the “gayageum” (Korean zither with 12 strings) for her master’s at the Korean National University of Art.
Among Koreans present, Im Hong-jae, former Korean ambassador to Vietnam and Kim Jong-ouk, a professor of Vietnamese languages at Chungwoon University were present.
“Korea and Vietnam have bolstered relations over the last 20 years and established a mutual strategic cooperative relationship when President Lee Myung-bak visited Vietnam in October 2009,” the prime minister said.
The prime minister said that sharp rises in personnel exchanges between the two countries have contributed to developing relations and promoting understanding.
“Not only personnel exchanges, but cultural tie-ups between two countries are also an important task to allow people to better understand each other,” Kim said.
Vietnam is eighth in terms of country’s Korea exports to and became the fourth biggest country that Korean companies invest in.
Kim asked participants to make greater efforts to improve cooperative relations between the two countries.