At the meeting, the two sides discussed opportunities for cooperation in transportation infrastructure development, urban railways and smart city initiatives.

Vice Chairman of the Hanoi People's Committee Truong Viet Dung stated that Hanoi is entering a new phase of development with numerous special mechanisms provided under the 2026 Capital Law.

The city is accelerating the implementation of key programs and projects to realize its long-term development goals outlined in its 100-year master plan.

According to Dung, as part of these efforts, Hanoi is actively attracting major investment resources and hopes to continue receiving support from international partners.

These include South Korea, particularly in transportation infrastructure, urban development and high-quality workforce training.

The Vice Chairman also emphasized that as digital transformation and the knowledge economy become new drivers of growth, Hanoi seeks to strengthen cooperation and receive support from South Korean partners in workforce training, technology transfer and governance capacity building.

Expressing appreciation for South Korea's support for Hanoi's railway industry development, Dung stressed that this is an important factor in helping the city gradually build self-reliance in developing a modern rail transportation system.

Thanking Hanoi's leaders for receiving the delegation, Vice Minister Hong Jee Sun expressed satisfaction with the strong progress of the Vietnam-South Korea Comprehensive Strategic Partnership in recent years.

According to the Second Vice Minister of Land, Infrastructure and Transport, bilateral cooperation between Vietnam and South Korea has continued to strengthen, particularly following high-level visits by leaders of both countries.

The two sides have also signed numerous important cooperation agreements, including those related to infrastructure development.

On that basis, Vice Minister Hong said South Korea is eager to share its experience with Vietnam in urban railway development and the advancement of the railway industry, noting that the country has made considerable progress in these fields in recent years.

Highly appreciating Hanoi's vision for developing its public transportation system, Hong Jee Sun expressed admiration for the capital's plans to build a large-scale urban railway network.

He also emphasized that South Korean companies have demonstrated their capabilities through participation in the Nhon-Hanoi Station metro project and hope to continue working with the city on future projects.

Speaking with the delegation, Vice Chairman of the Hanoi People's Committee Truong Viet Dung said Hanoi plans to develop 18 urban railway lines, with a total length of approximately 979 kilometers.

However, only about 21.5 kilometers have been built and put into operation so far, equivalent to roughly 2.1% of the planned network.

"This represents tremendous potential for expanding cooperation with international partners that possess experience and expertise in railway development," Dung said.

During the meeting, the two sides also discussed potential cooperation in research and investment preparation for future urban railway lines.

City leaders proposed that Hanoi's specialized agencies and their South Korean counterparts soon begin technical discussions to transform cooperation ideas into viable projects.

According to Vice Chairman of the Hanoi People's Committee Truong Viet Dung, Vietnam's Ministry of Construction is finalizing technical standards and regulations for urban railways.

These standards are largely compatible with those currently applied in South Korea, creating favorable conditions for expanded cooperation in the future.

Hanoi also welcomes South Korean participation in projects through flexible investment models, including public-private partnerships (PPP), direct investment, or the involvement of South Korean firms as lead contractors or consortium partners.

In response, Vice Minister Hong Jee Sun expressed South Korea's keen interest in engaging in the North-South high-speed railway project from its early stages, including the pre-feasibility study phase.

According to him, such involvement would allow South Korean companies to share international experience, leverage their strengths in technology and project management and promote joint ventures with Vietnamese enterprises to enhance investment efficiency.

At the conclusion of the meeting, both sides expressed confidence that bilateral cooperation would continue to expand, thereby contributing to the continued development and effectiveness of the Vietnam–South Korea Comprehensive Strategic Partnership.

The two sides agreed to maintain regular exchanges and close coordination to advance specific cooperation programs, including early consideration of signing an investment cooperation memorandum of understanding as a foundation for implementing practical and effective projects.