General Secretary To Lam of the Communist Party of Vietnam plays a pivotal role in guiding the nation's strategic development policies and shaping the future of Vietnam–South Korea relations. He is scheduled to visit South Korea from August 10 to 13.
Holding the position of General Secretary of the Communist Party of Vietnam for only one year (August 2024), General Secretary To Lam has left many special marks. General Secretary To Lam has led the process of streamlining the apparatus to be“Streamlined - Compact - Strong - Performance - Effectiveness - Efficiency”, fiercely and decisively implementing the merger of central and local agencies, and arranging local government down to two levels. Following the completion of mergers and the streamlining of the state apparatus at the central level in early 2025, Vietnam completed the merger of provinces and cities on July 1, 2025. This resulted in a reduction from 63 provinces and cities to 34, implementing a two-level local government structure without a district level, and reorganizing wards and communes. The arrangement of central and local agencies is carried out drastically to ensure efficiency, effectiveness, and substantial budget savings for investment in development.
One of General Secretary To Lam's notable achievements is his leadership in promoting the “Four Pillars” – 04 Important Resolutions from the Politburo of the Communist Party of Vietnam that address key areas for the nation’s development. Among these is Resolution 57-NQ/Central Committee,which focuses on fostering breakthroughs in scientific, technological development, innovation, and national digital transformation. As the Head of the Steering Committee, General Secretary To Lam has played a pivotal role in implementing this resolution. It outlines the strategic vision of the Party and State of Vietnam regarding scientific and technological development, aiming to serve as the primary driving force behind modern production. This initiative seeks to promote socio-economic development, mitigate the risks of stagnation, and propel the country towardssignificantadvancement.
General Secretary To Lam has also made significant contributions to legal development in Vietnam. During a National Assembly meeting, he identified the three primary obstacles hindering the country’s progress: institutions, infrastructure, and human resources, with the institutional framework being the “bottleneck of bottlenecks”. Under the leadership of the Communist Party of Vietnam, recently, Vietnamese state agencies have expedited law development to balance state management needs with fostering creativity and valuing the private economy. This includes simplifying administration for business investors and unlocking all resources for development.
Immediately after being elected General Secretary, Mr. Lam emphasized that Vietnam's foreign policy priorities include promoting relations with neighboring countries and strategic partners. His goal is to deepen and continuously strengthen political and foreign trust, peace, and cooperation. A hallmark of General Secretary To Lam's leadershipis hisskillful balancing of the US-China relationship, demonstrated by his proactive engagement with US President Donald Trump through two phone conversations. This effort successfully culminated in a trade agreement, resulting in the US reducing the tariff rate imposed on Vietnam from 46% to an average of 20%.
Since establishing diplomatic relations in 1992, Vietnam and Korea have rapidly and stably developed their ties. InDecember 2022, they upgraded their relations to a “comprehensive strategic partnership”. Regular high-level exchanges and contacts have strengthened political trust between the two countries. As important economic partners, Korea is Vietnam’s largest investor, with over 93 billion USD in accumulated investments across more than 10,000 projects. Additionally, they are each other’s third-largest trading partners. Cooperation in various fields, including national defense, security, culture, and people-to-people exchanges, is also expanding.
After engaging in calls with leaders from theU.S., China, and Japan, newly elected President Lee Jae Myung prioritized a conversation with Vietnamese leaders, highlightingSeoul’s commitment to strengthening ties with Hanoi. In response, General Secretary To Lam is set to visit South Korea in early August, making him the first foreign leader to undertake a state visit during President Lee’s term.A comprehensive strategic partnership between Vietnam and Korea is built on a solid foundation, and with Vietnam thriving in a new era, South Korea isexpected to take bold steps to deepen ties for mutual benefit.
On the occasion of General Secretary To Lam's visit, the new Korean government should reaffirm its commitment to strengthening the comprehensive strategic partnership with Vietnam as a foreign policy priority. Vietnam aims to achieve the goal of becomingan upper-middle-income country with a modern industrial base by 2030. To support this, the Korean governmentmust encourage its businesses to invest in sectors where Vietnam has high demand, such as infrastructure, roads, railways, liquefied gas power plants, and nuclear power. Additionally, cooperation in strategic technology fields like semiconductors and AI is essential.
To maintain robust trade relations, Seoul needs to address Hanoi’s concerns regarding its trade deficit by increasing imports of Vietnamese goods.Furthermore, Vietnam’s long-standing ties with North Korea position it as a potential mediator. Seoul should formally engage Hanoi to revive the stalled inter-Korean dialogue. Additionally, leveraging Vietnam’s growing influence within ASEAN - South Korea’s second-largest trading partner - can deepen regional engagement and unlock new growth opportunities.
