On the morning of June 12, Lee Jae-myung, the President of South Korea, had an official phone call with Nguyen Xuan Phuc, the President of Vietnam, for the first time since taking office. This call lasted 25 minutes and was the fifth instance of high-level phone diplomacy following calls with the United States, Japan, China, and the Czech Republic. President Nguyen Xuan Phuc congratulated President Lee Jae-myung on his election as the 21st President of South Korea on behalf of the Vietnamese state and people, and conveyed greetings from the General Secretary of Vietnam, To Lam, and the Vietnamese leadership. President Nguyen Xuan Phuc highly appreciated President Lee's emphasis on relations with the Asian region, particularly with Vietnam, and his initiative to hold the call early, stating that this demonstrates a deep interest in the bilateral relationship. He added that Vietnam fully supports South Korea's development policies and believes that under President Lee's leadership, South Korea will continue to prosper, its people will be happy, and it will greatly contribute to regional and global peace and stability. In response, President Lee Jae-myung expressed deep gratitude to General Secretary To Lam and President Nguyen Xuan Phuc for their warm congratulatory messages right after the election. He highly valued the recent development achievements of Vietnam, defined Vietnam as a core cooperation partner for South Korea, and expressed his desire to move forward together for the joint development of both countries. The two leaders evaluated that since the establishment of diplomatic relations in 1995, especially after being elevated to a "comprehensive strategic partnership," the bilateral relationship has developed remarkably in all fields. President Lee expressed his intention to expand strategic cooperation in key areas such as high-speed rail, nuclear power, science and technology, and advanced industries, and requested the Vietnamese government to continue creating conditions for South Korean companies' investment and business expansion. Both sides agreed to strengthen practical and comprehensive cooperation in the following areas: ✅ Activation of exchanges of high-ranking and various personnel ✅ Strengthening cooperation in defense, security, and transnational crime response ✅ Promoting specific cooperation in the economy, trade, and investment to respond to global challenges ✅ Elevating cooperation in science, technology, and innovation as a core axis ✅ Enhancing mutual support and cooperation on regional and international stages President Nguyen Xuan Phuc invited President Lee Jae-myung to make an official visit to Vietnam, and President Lee expressed his intention to visit Vietnam as soon as possible. He particularly suggested expanding high-level exchanges between the two countries in connection with the APEC summit scheduled to be held in South Korea in 2025. Additionally, both sides agreed to closely cooperate for the successful hosting of the APEC summits in South Korea in 2025 and in Vietnam in 2027, and to effectively fulfill the role of co-chair of the Korea-Mekong Cooperation.