Vietnam and South Korea Agree to Boost Cooperation on Supply Chains, Nuclear Energy |
ASEAN Beat | Diplomacy | Southeast Asia
Vietnam and South Korea Agree to Boost Cooperation on Supply Chains, Nuclear Energy
Amid the current conflict in the Middle East, President Lee Jae Myung said that “the need for cooperation between our nations has grown even greater.”
South Korean President Lee Jae Myung takes part in a wreath-laying ceremony at the Ho Chi Minh mausoleum in Hanoi, Vietnam, Apr. 22, 2026.
Vietnam and South Korea yesterday agreed to boost cooperation in nuclear energy and advanced technologies and to strengthen vital supply chains, as they both attempt to manage the economic fallout from the war in the Middle East.
At a meeting in Hanoi yesterday, their second in the past eight months, Vietnam’s top leader To Lam and South Korean President Lee Jae Myung attended the signing of 12 agreements, including on energy, infrastructure, and security cooperation, South Korea’s Chosun Daily reported. Two of these related to Seoul’s possible cooperation on the development and financing of a nuclear power plant in southern Vietnam.
Lee arrived in Vietnam on Tuesday from India with a large business delegation in tow for a visit aimed at pursuing “strategic and mutually beneficial cooperation” at a time of growing global uncertainty.
“Amid supply chain instability stemming from recent Middle East tensions, we share the recognition that the need for cooperation between our nations has grown even greater,” Lee said in a joint statement issued after the meeting. “We have agreed to collaborate more closely to strengthen energy security and stabilize supply chains.”
In addition to meeting with Lam, Lee yesterday paid tribute at the mausoleum of revolutionary leader Ho Chi Minh and met with members of the Korean expat community in Hanoi. He is scheduled to meet with Prime Minister Le Minh Hung and National Assembly Chairman Tran Thanh Man before departing Vietnam on April 24.
Lam and Lee also reaffirmed their intention to expand two-way bilateral trade to $150 billion by 2030, up from $94.6 billion in 2025. South Korea is the largest investor in Vietnam,........