Seoul (VNA) – Vietnam and the Republic of Korea should enhancepeople-to-people diplomacy in order to elevate their ties to a comprehensivestrategic partnership, according to Chol Young Joo, Chairman of theKorea-Vietnam Friendship Association (KOVIFA).

Chol expressed his opinion in an interview granted to the Vietnam News Agency on the occasion of PrimeMinister Nguyen Xuan Phuc’s trip to the RoK for an official visit and to attend the ASEAN-RoK Commemorative Summit.

He noted that since thetwo countries estabilished diplomatic ties in 1992, the bilateral relationshave been thriving in multiple areas, including politics, economics, culture,education and arts.

In politics anddiplomacy, the exchanges and cooperation between the two countries areexpanding at both central and local levels.

Regardingeconomics, Vietnam is the fourth biggest trade partner ofthe RoK, with two-way trade amounting to 68.2 billion USD in 2018, a 130-fold increase from that of 1992.

Vietnam is alsothe RoK’s third largest investment destination, attracting roughly 66.5 billion USD ofinvestment from the RoK since 1988, making it Vietnam’s topinvestor.

In 2018, Vietnamwelcomed about 3.43 million Korean tourists which are expected to exceed 4 million this year. TheKorean arrivals to Vietnam are likely to grow 30 – 50 percent annually whilethe number of Vietnamese visitors is also on the rise, Chol said.

Regardingeducation, Chol said faculties of Korean language and Korean studies have beenopened at 28 Vietnamese universities while the number of Vietnamese students inthe RoK is expanding, reaching over 27,000last year.

The Korean wave,or Hallyu, has become increasingly popular in Vietnam thanks to Korean dramasand movies, cosmetics, K-pop culture, cuisine and sports. Inparticular, the achievements of the Vietnamesenational football team under the leadership of RoK head coach Park Hang-seo have helped heighten the RoK’s reputation among Vietnamesepeople and vice versa.

According to the KOVIFA Chairman, exchanges and cooperation between the two countries have so far been centred on the relationshipbetween the two governments and their enterprises.

“Now, to develop theties into a Comprehensive StrategicPartnership, we should promote people-to-people diplomacy,” Chol said.

He said people-to-people diplomacy and cultural exchangewill play an increasingly important role in promoting bilateral relations.  

“Visitsand tourism activities of the people of both countries will deepen mutual understandingof the culture and history of both countries,” he added./.