By Reporter Anna Kim

President Yoon Suk-yeol and First Lady Kim Keon-hee, who are on a state visit to Vietnam, hosted a luncheon for ethnic Koreans in Vietnam on June 22 (local time). The meeting was attended by more than 300 ethnic Koreans who are active in Vietnam, including Korean-Vietnamese families.

In his encouraging remarks, the President said, "The 170,000-strong Korean diaspora in Vietnam, the largest among ASEAN countries' diasporas, represents the weight and importance of the Korea-Vietnam relationship." 
Noting the remarkable growth of Korea-Vietnam relations in the 30 years since the establishment of diplomatic relations, the President said, "With this trip, we will take an energetic first step toward a new 30-year partnership with Vietnam."

Noting that the Korean International School in Vietnam has the largest number of students of any Korean international school in the world, the President said, "We will continue to provide special support for the next generation of compatriots to be educated while being proud of their Korean identity."

President Yoon also expressed his hope that the Overseas Korean Administration, which was launched on June 5, will serve as a fence for ethnic Koreans in Vietnam and provide them with the necessary support, and invited them to communicate with the agency at any time.

In her welcoming remarks, Jang Eun-sook, President of the Hanoi Korean Association, said, "The establishment of the Overseas Korean Affairs Office is an opportunity for not only the 170,000 ethnic Koreans in Vietnam, but also the 7.5 million overseas Koreans to feel closer to their homeland." "We hope that the second generation of Korean-Vietnamese families will not lose their pride and identity as Koreans and will grow to become the main players in bilateral relations."

The event was also attended by Park Hang-seo, former head coach of the Vietnam national soccer team, who said, "I hope that the President's visit will strengthen the relationship between my country, the Republic of Korea, and my beloved Vietnam. When I shout for Korea, I want you to shout for Vietnam," he said, and sang "Korea," while the attendees sang "Vietnam" and toasted.

During the dialog with the diaspora, various difficulties faced by ethnic Koreans in the Vietnamese community were raised, and Lee Ki-chul, Director of the Overseas Korean Affairs Office, and Seok Dong-hyun, Secretary General of the National Committee for Democracy and Peace, promised to find solutions to the problems of overseas Koreans' access to domestic internet portals, telecommunications company certification, and long-term visa issuance.

The meeting featured a performance by the Gloria Children's Choir, composed of 30 children from Korean-Vietnamese families. The choir sang two songs, "Together Arirang" and "Dreaming World," and wished for friendship and goodwill between Korea and Vietnam.