South Korea's Yoon to expand defence industry cooperation with Vietnam

South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol said on Wednesday he hoped to expand defence industry cooperation with Vietnam, ahead of his planned trip to the Southeast Asian country. Wrapping up his Paris visit to support the country's bid to host Expo 2030, Yoon will head to Vietnam on Thursday for a three-day state visit, accompanied by a 205-person business delegation, according to his office.

South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol said on Wednesday he hoped to expand defence industry cooperation with Vietnam, ahead of his planned trip to the Southeast Asian country.

Wrapping up his Paris visit to support the country's bid to host Expo 2030, Yoon will head to Vietnam on Thursday for a three-day state visit, accompanied by a 205-person business delegation, according to his office. South Korea is an important economic partner for Vietnam and the largest source of foreign direct investment. Vietnam is home to manufacturing bases of South Korean major brands including Samsung Electronics, the biggest single foreign investor there.

Yoon told the Vietnam News Agency that he hoped to strengthen security cooperation with Vietnam to cement the rules-based order in the Indo-Pacific region. "I hope to expand bilateral cooperation in defence industry as South Korea's capabilities have been proven globally," Yoon said in an interview with the official Vietnam News Agency.

Yoon also said he would announce a new aid project during the Vietnam trip to bolster Vietnam's science and technology research capacity.