Vietnam and the Republic of Korea established the diplomatic relations in 1992 and since then the two countries have attained impressive achievements in many areas of cooperation. The two sides have gradually upgraded the bilateral relations to "Comprehensive Cooperative Partnership" in 2001 and to "Strategic Cooperative Partnership" in 2009. On the occasion of the New Year, Vietnam Business Forum interviewed Mr Jun Dae Joo, Ambassador of the Republic of Korea. Nguyen Mai reports.
Would you please tell us the results achieved in the relations between Vietnam and the Republic of Korea in 2015?
As we celebrated 23 years of bilateral relations, the Republic of Korea and Vietnam made significant achievements in 2015. The most impressive achievements have been made in the economic realm, as Korea, once again, emerged as Vietnam’s biggest investor with a cumulative investment of about US$44 billion. Our bilateral trade volume also continued its upward trend, placing Korea as the third largest trading partner of Vietnam. And above all, the Korea-Vietnam Free Trade Agreement came into effect on December 20th, opening up a whole new window of opportunity to further boost our economic cooperation. Indeed, I am confident that we will easily reach the bilateral trade target of US$70 billion in 2020 as was agreed by President Park and President Sang back in 2013.
Cooperation, however, was not limited to economic exchanges. The top leaders of our two countries had frequent meetings on several occasions to discuss and explore ways to further strengthen our strategic cooperative partnership. Most recently, President Park and President Sang worked together at the Special High-Level Event on Rural Development that took place on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly to share experience, cooperation and vision on rural development strategies for a sustainable and inclusive growth. As Vietnam’s second largest official development assistance partner, Korea will continue to work with Vietnam in the latter’s efforts towards modernisation and industrialisation. Annual strategic dialogues between our foreign and defence ministries were also held to promote our political and strategic cooperation.
The year 2015 also marked the 70th anniversary of independence of both Korea and Vietnam. Commemorative events took place in our respective countries which reminded us of the similar histories of Korea and Vietnam, especially the determination of our ancestors to defend the freedom of our peoples. As a matter of fact, it is such shared experience and values that have provided a strong basis for cooperation and exchanges between our two peoples. And with over 100 direct flights from Vietnam to Korea every week, the flow of goods, people, information and culture continues to flourish between our two countries.
I am confident that there are yet many more milestones in store for us in 2016. Vietnam will embark on its next 5-year national development plan following the 12th National Party Congress in January. And, in these efforts, Korea will continue to work with Vietnam towards shared peace and prosperity of our two countries and the region.
How will the Vietnam-Korea FTA benefit the enterprises of the two countries and what difficulties may they face?
The Korea-Vietnam FTA marks a significant milestone in our bilateral economic relations. Indeed, having witnessed the signing of the agreement in early May, I am most pleased that the agreement finally came into effect on December 20, 2015. As soon as the FTA took effect, our two countries carried out the first stage of tariff cuts, and now as we welcome the new year, we will be carrying out the second stage of tariff reductions. Such measures are expected to contribute significantly to further expanding our bilateral trade volume as we work towards our goal of US$70 billion in 2020.
Specifically, tariffs for 499 Vietnamese items exported to Korea including fruits such as mangoes as well as textiles will be eliminated. On Korea’s side, tariffs on a total of 272 items including cosmetics, home electronics and automotive parts will be eliminated. With no tariffs, these products will have a competitive advantage in each other’s markets leading to a larger market share and thereby increase in bilateral trade. The FTA is also expected to boost Korean companies’ investment in Vietnam as regulations will be strengthened to protect investors’ interests in Vietnam.
As such, the Korea-Vietnam FTA is a win-win solution that is mutually beneficial to both our countries. The next step will be for us to make full use of this FTA in order to maximize the benefits. Successful implementation of the FTA is as, if not more, important as the ratification of the agreement. Both Korea and Vietnam will now need to closely cooperate with each other through the Ministerial Joint Committee and working groups to be established pursuant to the FTA and seek ways to fully utilize the agreement for the benefit of our two economies. And, I assure you that the Korean Embassy will spare no efforts in supporting our joint work in this regard.
Would you please tell us how Korean people celebrate their Lunar New Year?
Like Vietnam, the Lunar New Year is a time for celebration and family gathering in Korea. There are many customs that Koreans practice on the first day of the Lunar New Year, or Seollal. One of the traditional customs is wearing new clothes, Seolbim, which represents the entrance to a new year. Also on New Year’s morning, Koreans hold a memorial service for their ancestors and visit their graves. We also have a symbolic food that is eaten called Tteokguk, which is a soup made of sliced rice cakes simmered in beef broth. Eating Tteokguk means you will become one year older.
Families also greet each other on New Year’s Day by performing the Sebae. Young members of the family will formally bow to their elders who in turn say words of wisdom with small gifts, to wish luck for the new year. The families will then celebrate the day by playing Yunnori, a traditional board game, or by visiting other close relatives. Nowadays, as families become smaller, some Koreans use the New Year’s holiday to travel and find time off from work.
Could you please talk about Korea’s policies to support Vietnamese brides to adapt to life in Korea?
With growing bilateral relations, the number of inter-marriages between Korea and Vietnam is also increasing. Today, there are about 3,500 Korean Vietnamese families here in Vietnam and over 60,000 Vietnamese brides living in Korea.
One of the biggest challenges for these marriages, especially for the Vietnamese brides, is the language barrier they face with their new families. In order to address this issue, the Korean government has designated 14 language centres in Vietnam, including in Hanoi, Ho Chi Minh City, Hue, Dalat, and Can Tho, where the brides-to-be can study Korean before they join their husbands in Korea. In addition to language studies, the Korean government is currently carrying out a “Pre-departure Orientation Program for Marriage Migrant Women.” This 1~2 day program allows the women to have a basic understanding of the culture and the way of life in Korean families. Also, the program informs the women of organizations and places they can go to when they experience family crises and are in need of help. Almost all Vietnamese brides going to Korea take part in this program and have said was a great help during the first months of settling down.
In order to support the growing number of multicultural families in Korea, the Korean government enacted the “Multicultural Families Support Act” in 2008 and has since formulated various policies for these families. Every five years, the Ministry of Gender Equality and Family gets together with related government agencies from both the central and local government to draft and update policies and plans to support the multi-cultural families. In 2015, various projects and programs worth 100 billion KRW (about 85 million USD) were implemented at both central and local levels including language and job training, courses on Korean culture, TV programs to raise awareness among the Korean public, study assistance for children of multi-cultural families, and lessons for children of multi-cultural learn about their parents’ home countries.
In sum, the Korean government is making every effort to help Vietnamese brides and their families to fully integrate into the Korean community as these families are an important part of our bilateral relations and the bridge connecting our two peoples.
Vietnamese
