Overview of the meeting.
On April 22, Party Central Committee Member, Vice Secretary of the Hanoi Party Committee and Chairman of the Hanoi People's Committee Vu Dai Thang met with Kang Kum Sil, Global Climate Environment Ambassador of South Korea, along with a delegation of Korean enterprises in environmental and urban development sectors.
At the meeting, Thang emphasized that cooperation between Vietnam and South Korea in general, and between Hanoi and Korean partners in particular, has been developing very positively, especially in urban governance, infrastructure development and transportation.
He noted that relations between Hanoi and Seoul have become increasingly substantive and in-depth, particularly in areas such as urban governance and urban transport infrastructure development.
Thang also stated that Hanoi is focusing on promoting high technology sectors, with Hoa Lac Hi Tech Park identified as a key innovation center that has received strong interest and cooperation from South Korean partners.
For her part, Kang Kum Sil said that during General Secretary To Lam's visit to Seoul last year, Hanoi and Seoul signed a memorandum of understanding on cooperation in developing the Hoa Lac Hi-Tech Park, creating a foundation for Korean partners to support its growth.
Chairman of the Hanoi People's Committee Vu Dai Thang presents a souvernir to Kang Kum Sil, Global Climate Environment Ambassador of South Korea.
She also affirmed readiness to act as a bridge between Hanoi and Korean partners in water management and wastewater treatment, including cooperation with the Korea Water Resources Corporation (K-water), contributing to climate change response efforts and economic development in the Capital.
Welcoming the proposals, Thang affirmed that climate change response, water pollution treatment and wastewater management are global issues, especially in urban and industrial areas.
He added that with rapid urbanization, Hanoi is facing challenges such as traffic congestion and flooding, which have become bottlenecks affecting residents and require urgent solutions.
Sharing progress in the water sector, he highlighted achievements in clean water supply while acknowledging ongoing challenges in wastewater treatment. For industrial zones, the city requires wastewater treatment plants to be operational before facilities begin operation.
However, the situation is more complex in residential areas, especially long-established neighborhoods where weak wastewater collection systems continue to impact the environment and public health.
In this context, he expressed confidence that Hanoi has many opportunities to cooperate with Korean partners to address wastewater treatment and flood control in rivers.
He encouraged Korean enterprises to work closely with Hanoi authorities, particularly the Hanoi Department of Agriculture and Environment and the Hoa Lac Hi-Tech Park Management Board, to identify specific cooperation plans.
Delegates from Hanoi and South Korea join a group photo after the meeting.
Concluding the meeting, Thang reaffirmed the strong partnership between Hanoi and Seoul in urban governance and expressed hope that Kang Kum Sil would continue supporting cooperation between the two capitals.
He also expressed confidence that the Ambassador will successfully fulfill her role in addressing climate change and environmental challenges in South Korea and globally.
At the meeting, Korean enterprises in environmental management, water resources and smart city development shared experience and information with Hanoi representatives.
They affirmed readiness to cooperate in improving environmental conditions and contributing to the capital's development.