▲ President Lee Jae Myung (R) and To Lam (C), Vietnam's president and general secretary of the Communist Party, review an honor guard during an official welcoming ceremony held at the presidential palace in Hanoi on April 22, 2026. (Yonhap)
▲ President Lee Jae Myung (L) and To Lam (C), Vietnam's president and general secretary of the Communist Party, wave at children during an official welcoming ceremony held at the presidential palace in Hanoi on April 22, 2026. (Yonhap)

(LEAD) Lee-Vietnam-summit

(LEAD) Lee, Vietnam's To Lam hold summit talks to discuss energy, supply chains

(ATTN: UPDATES throughout with summit; CHANGES headline, lead, photos)

By Kim Eun-jung

HANOI, April 22 (Yonhap) -- President Lee Jae Myung held a bilateral summit with Vietnam's top leader To Lam on Wednesday to discuss ways to strengthen economic ties and coordination in supply chains amid global uncertainties.

The South Korean president arrived here Tuesday on a state visit, becoming the first foreign leader to visit Vietnam since To Lam, general secretary of the Communist Party, was elected state president earlier this month, enhancing his authority by holding the country's two most powerful positions simultaneously.

Lee's trip to Vietnam follows To Lam's state visit to South Korea in August 2025, highlighting growing momentum in bilateral ties.

During a meeting with Korean residents ahead of the summit, Lee vowed closer cooperation with Vietnam in strategic areas, such as nuclear energy, infrastructure and advanced technologies, to deepen their economic ties.

Coordination on energy security and supply chains is also high on the agenda, as the war in the Middle East has pushed up energy prices and strained raw material supply chains.

Vietnam has emerged as a key manufacturing hub for South Korean companies and an increasingly strategic partner in efforts to diversify supply chains beyond China and mitigate geopolitical risks.

Bilateral trade between South Korea and Vietnam reached a record high of US$94.6 billion in 2025, and the countries agreed earlier to work to boost the figure to $150 billion by 2030.

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