VCCI President Pham Tan Cong and the Korean delegation pose for a group photo during their working session at VCCI Head Office 

At the meeting, Mr. Suh Byung Soo expressed his pleasure when Vietnam and Korea upgraded their relations to a comprehensive strategic partnership when the two nations celebrated the 30th anniversary of diplomatic relations in December 2022. He was also pleased to see that the Korean government always attaches great importance to developing relations with Vietnam, especially in the economic, investment and trade fields.

On this occasion, he introduced the plan to prepare to host the World Expo 2023 and hoped that Vietnam will support Korea to successfully hold this event. For Korea, the World Expo remains the only elusive element when it comes to hosting the triple crown of international mega-events; the Olympics (both summer and winter), the FIFA World Cup and the World Expo. The World Expo 2030 is both considered the "Economic Olympics" as well as the "Cultural Olympics" of Korea.

The former Mayor of Busan City appreciated VCCI's contributions in building and promoting good relations between Vietnam and Korea and hoped that the two sides will strengthen exchanges, information sharing and experience sharing, and have practical cooperation for a stronger relationship in the coming time.

Member of the Korean National Assembly Suh Byung Soo pledged to support and further promote cooperation in many fields between Busan City and organizations in Vietnam, including VCCI.

On the VCCI side, President Pham Tan Cong expressed his support for the World Expo 2030 and wished that the two countries will continue to foster multifaceted cooperation in trade, investment and cultural exchange among others.

Vietnam is Korea’s third-largest trading partner while Korea is also Vietnam's second-largest trading partner and investor, he said. The two peoples regularly exchange and have many remarkable cooperation agreements in trade, investment, culture, education, sports and other fields.

Currently, Korea is the largest investor in Vietnam with a total capital of US$80.5 billion and the second largest partner in development cooperation, tourism and labor. Bilateral trade value reached US$88 billion in 2022 and aimed for US$100 billion in the near future.

He also stressed that the two countries have similarities in culture and history as well as many characteristics of Asian people such as industriousness and diligence.

Busan is the second largest city in Korea after Seoul, with a population of about 3.5 million. With its economic strength, notably seaports and logistics, the city has been chosen as the host for many large-scale events such as the APEC Summit 2005, the ASEAN-Korea Special Summit 2014 and 2019.