(TITC) – On June 27, on the sidelines of the 2026 APEC Ministerial Meeting in Macao (China), Viet Nam’s Minister of Culture, Sports and Tourism Lam Thi Phuong Thanh met with Chae Hwi Young, Minister of Culture, Sports and Tourism of the Republic of Korea, to discuss measures to strengthen bilateral cooperation in culture, sports and tourism.
Minister Lam Thi Phuong Thanh affirmed that the Viet Nam – Republic of Korea Comprehensive Strategic Partnership continues to develop strongly, with cooperation in culture, sports and tourism becoming increasingly substantive and effective. She highly appreciated the Republic of Korea’s achievements in developing cultural industries, particularly in film, music, performing arts and cuisine, noting that these provide valuable experience for Viet Nam as it promotes its own cultural and creative industries.
The Minister noted that the Republic of Korea is currently Viet Nam’s second-largest source market for international visitors and remains one of the country’s priority tourism markets. As tourism has been identified as a key driver of Viet Nam’s economic growth, the country will continue to develop tourism products tailored to Korean travelers by improving service quality and better understanding their travel preferences and cultural interests.
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She proposed that the two countries jointly develop tourism products, especially cultural and heritage experiences highlighting the longstanding friendship between Viet Nam and the Republic of Korea, offering Korean visitors richer and more authentic experiences. Minister also thanked the Korean side for its support for Mr. Lee Chang-kun, Viet Nam’s Tourism Ambassador to the Republic of Korea, and expressed hope for continued cooperation in promoting Viet Nam as a destination.
Recognizing the important role of the Korean Cultural Center in Viet Nam in strengthening cultural exchanges, Minister shared that Viet Nam is working toward establishing a Viet Nam Cultural Center in the Republic of Korea and looked forward to receiving the Korean Government’s support.
On this occasion, Minister Lam Thi Phuong Thanh introduced several major international events to be hosted by Viet Nam, including the ITE HCMC 2026, the World Culture Festival in Ha Noi, and the High-level Dialogue on Cultural and Creative Industries, scheduled to take place in Da Nang in 2027 during APEC 2027 in Viet Nam. She invited Minister Chae Hwi Young and Korean government agencies and businesses to participate in these events to enhance exchanges and expand cooperation.
Minister Chae Hwi Young welcomed Viet Nam’s proposals and agreed that the two countries have significant potential to jointly develop new tourism products. He said the Republic of Korea plans to organize familiarization trips to destinations associated with the historical links between the two nations, including sites connected with Prince Ly Long Tuong, with the participation of Tourism Ambassador Lee Chang-kun to help introduce the shared historical and cultural heritage.
He also expressed the hope that both countries would promote more destinations beyond the well-known attractions of Ha Noi, Ha Long, Da Nang, Nha Trang and Phu Quoc, thereby diversifying tourism experiences and encouraging longer visitor stays.
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Minister Chae Hwi Young announced that the Republic of Korea plans to establish a Korea 360 Complex Center in Viet Nam to further promote Korean culture and invited Minister Lam Thi Phương Thanh to attend its inauguration.
Congratulating Viet Nam on hosting APEC 2027, Minister Chae Hwi Young affirmed that the Republic of Korea would actively support and participate in the High-level Dialogue on Cultural and Creative Industries. He emphasized that cultural industries represent not only a new engine of economic growth but also an important platform for strengthening people-to-people exchanges and tourism cooperation among APEC economies.
The two ministers also discussed extending the bilateral Memorandum of Understanding on cultural cooperation and expanding collaboration into emerging fields such as gaming, digital content, video production and copyright protection. They also reaffirmed their commitment to strengthening sports cooperation through training, technical exchanges and human resource development.
The meeting concluded with both ministers agreeing to further deepen cooperation across culture, sports and tourism, promote youth exchanges and implement practical initiatives that will contribute to the continued development of the Viet Nam – Republic of Korea Comprehensive Strategic Partnership.
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