Yonsei University has awarded an honorary doctorate in political science to Trong Lam, Secretary General of the Communist Party of Vietnam. The award was notably supported by strong recommendation and active backing from Jo Hyunsang, Vice Chairman of HS Hyosung.
On August 12th, HS Hyosung announced that Vice Chairman Jo Hyunsang personally submitted a recommendation letter to the university. In his letter, Jo highly praised Trong Lam’s leadership in Vietnam’s economic liberalization and efforts to attract foreign investment. He emphasized that “Trong Lam’s sustained political stability and policies of reform and openness have played a crucial role in Vietnam’s rise as a key hub in the global supply chain.”
Jo Hyunsang has been actively involved in strengthening economic ties between Korea and Vietnam through roles such as Chairman of the Korea-Vietnam Economic Cooperation Committee and Chair of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation Business Advisory Council (ABAC). In July of last year, he visited Vietnam to discuss business cooperation with Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh and personally delivered an invitation for the APEC summit to President Nguyen Xuan Phuc in Hai Phong, promoting economic exchange.
HS Hyosung Group has established large-scale manufacturing bases in major Vietnamese regions such as Ho Chi Minh City, Dong Nai, and Gangnam over the past 20 years, cementing itself as one of the largest Korean investors in Vietnam. Jo Hyunsang is credited with building trust with the Vietnamese government during the expansion of investments and maintaining close communication, significantly contributing to the strengthening of economic partnership between the two countries.
This honorary doctorate is seen as more than a diplomatic gesture; it recognizes Jo Hyunsang’s tangible achievements in economic diplomacy and serves as a model for private sector diplomacy. Jo expressed hope that “Korea-Vietnam cooperation will deepen further and expand into various fields such as education, economy, and culture.”
