Korea-Vietnam friendship 'very important': foreign ministry
Vietnam's foreign ministry spokesperson Le Thi Thu Hang
By Park Si-soo
South Korean President Moon Jae-in has come under unexpected criticism from Vietnam for his remarks honoring Korean soldiers who fought in the 1960-75 Vietnam War.
In his Memorial Day speech on June 6, Moon emphasized the “devotion and sacrifice” of Vietnam War veterans,” describing them as “contributors” to South Korea’s economic growth.
Vietnam's foreign ministry spokesperson Le Thi Thu Hang told reporters on Monday that Moon’s remarks “could hurt the Vietnamese people.”
“We request the government of South Korea not to take actions or make statements that could hurt the Vietnamese people or negatively affect the two countries’ friendly relations,” Hang said in a statement.
“Vietnam wants to develop friendly relations with all nations, including the Republic of Korea. Leaders of the two countries reached common perceptions in putting the past aside and looking towards the future.”
The angry reaction stemmed from a massacre of thousands of Vietnamese civilians by South Korean troops during the war. An estimated 9,000 Vietnamese civilians were said be killed, but South Korea has not acknowledged this.
South Korea sent nearly 300,000 troops to Vietnam from 1964 to 1973 to assist the U.S. fight against communism there.
The participation paved the way for South Korea, then one of the poorest countries, to borrow billions of dollars from the U.S. and international financial institutes, with which Korea was able to kick-start its economic growth.
The South Korean foreign ministry tried to quell the situation on Tuesday, saying the countries’ friendship was “very important.”
Foreign Ministry spokesman Cho June-hyuck said the President’s remarks were intended as a call for better treatment of solders who had served the nation -- the words were not intended to hurt the Vietnamese people.
South Korea is the largest foreign investor in Vietnam with $50 billion at the end of 2016, according to the Korea Trade-Investment Promotion Agency.
Korean troops leave for Vietnam in August 1966. / Korea Times file