The delegates were received by the RoK National Assembly Speaker Kim Hyong-o and Prime Minister Chung Un-chan in the capital city of Seoul on November 4.

Mr Kim and Mr Chung applauded the visit, saying that it is taking place as senior leaders from both nations have agreed to list their bilateral relationship to a strategic cooperative partnership. They congratulated Vietnam on its impressive socio-economic achievements and its growing role and position in the international arena, while stating the RoK will strengthen its ties with Vietnam.

Both the Korean leaders expressed their sympathy for Vietnam’s devastating losses of human life and property due to typhoon Ketsana, and said they hoped the country would recover quickly from the disaster.

President Dam said the parliaments, governments, and peoples of Vietnam and the RoK should make a concerted effort to develop their friendly and cooperative ties in a more stable and effective manner in the spirit of a strategic cooperative partnership as recently agreed by Vietnamese President Nguyen Minh Triet and his RoK counterpart Lee Myung-bak.

He called on the RoK National Assembly and government to create a favourable environment for the Vietnamese community in the RoK, especially Vietnamese women who marry local men as well as guest workers.