VIETNAM – SOUTH KOREA POLITICAL AND DIPLOMATIC RELATIONS (2009 – 2022)

Abstract

In December 2022, on the 30th anniversary of establishing diplomatic relations, Vietnam and South Korea upgraded their relationship from a “Strategic Cooperative Partnership” (2009) to a “Comprehensive Strategic Partnership”. This event elevated the bilateral relationship to a new height and made South Korea the fourth Comprehensive Strategic Partner of Vietnam. In this context, political and diplomatic relations have always been considered the “key” to expanding cooperation to other fields. So, how did the political and diplomatic cooperation between Vietnam and South Korea unfold during the period 2009 – 2022? Based on historical, logical, and various methods such as analysis, comparison, and synthesis; this article will clarify the influencing factors and the achieved results in the political and diplomatic relations between the two countries from 2009 to 2022. Specifically, the article focuses on the bilateral relationship between Vietnam and South Korea based on three pillars: Party-to-Party diplomacy, State diplomacy, and People-to-People diplomacy. Additionally, the article elucidates the cooperative relationship between the two countries on multilateral forums. With these noteworthy achievements, the two nations are in a favorable position to achieve co-prosperity, paving the way for a new era of stronger and more substantial development.