1. Foreign Minister Kang Kyung-wha, who is on an official visit to Vietnam on March 8-10, had a meeting and a luncheon with Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister of Vietnam Pham Binh Minh on March 9. The two sides discussed a range of issues, including ways to step up cooperative relations between the Republic of Korea and Vietnam; cooperation in implementing the New Southern Policy; ways to enhance the ROK-ASEAN relations; and the situations on the Korean Peninsula and other regions.

2. The two Ministers spoke highly of the continued development of the “strategic cooperative partnership” between the two countries in various areas, and agreed to work to facilitate high-level exchanges between the two countries; double efforts to achieve the trade volume target of $100 billion by 2020; expand development cooperation; increase support for multicultural families; and establish the foundation for co-prosperity by stepping up cooperation in the parts and materials industry, information and communication technology (ICT), and scientific and technological research in order to further facilitate the development of the bilateral relations.

o In addition, Minister Kang asked for the Vietnamese government’s interest and support to promote the rights of Korean companies and residents in Vietnam, and especially requested the Vietnamese government actively review issues that can bring real benefits to Korean companies and residents, including the conclusion of a social security agreement, the extension of the period of stay for Korean personnel dispatched from headquarters, and support for Korean financial institutions’ entry into the country.

3. Minister Kang said that the ROK government is actively pushing forward the New Southern Policy aimed at elevating the ROK-ASEAN relations to a higher level in a wide range of areas, and asked Vietnam to actively work together with the ROK in its efforts to pursue the Policy. Deputy Prime Minister Minh actively welcomed the ROK government’s commitment to elevating the ROK-ASEAN relations to a higher level through its New Southern Policy, and expressed hope that the ROK-Vietnam relations will further advance under the ROK government’s New Southern Policy.

o The two Ministers agreed to continue to closely work together within ASEAN’s consultative mechanisms this year, including ROK-ASEAN, ASEAN+3, the East Asia Summit (EAS), and the ASEAN Regional Forum (ARF). They also discussed ways to further advance the ROK-ASEAN and ROK-Mekong cooperation, with next year marking the 30th anniversary of the establishment of dialogue relations between the ROK and ASEAN.

4. Minister Kang said that as a result of the ROK government’s consistent efforts to bring North Korea to the table for dialogue under the firm principle of denuclearization, meaningful agreements were reached during the ROK special envoys’ visit to North Korea. She asked for the Vietnamese side’s interest and support to make sure that such efforts by the ROK government lead to the denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula and the establishment of a lasting peace on the Peninsula.

o Deputy Prime Minister Minh welcomed the atmosphere for dialogue aimed at establishing an enduring peace on the Korean Peninsula, which was created as a result of the ROK government’s efforts, and hoped that the momentum for inter-Korean talks will lead to a peaceful resolution of the North Korean nuclear issue.

5. On the afternoon of March 9, Minister Kang paid a courtesy call on President Tran Dai Quang and Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc of Vietnam, and discussed ways to facilitate summit-level exchanges and substantive cooperation between the two countries, as well as ways to advance the ROK-ASEAN relations.

* unofficial translation