A Hanoi delegation conducted working sessions with the Seoul Metropolitan Government and professional agencies on planning, transportation, drainage management and disaster prevention, while surveying typical urban regeneration models and meeting with the Vietnamese Embassy in South Korea.

These activities took place from February 4 to February 6 as part of a program to learn from sustainable urban planning and development experiences to serve the research of Hanoi's 100-year master plan.

The delegation was led by Duong Duc Tuan, member of the Standing Board of the Hanoi Party Committee and Standing Vice Chairman of the Hanoi People's Committee.

During a courtesy meeting with the authorities of Seoul, both sides discussed long-term urban development vision, modern governance methods and improving quality of life amid rapid urbanization.

Tuan expressed a desire to strengthen practical cooperation between the two capitals and learn from Seoul's experience in addressing shared challenges such as traffic congestion, flooding and environmental pollution.

In working sessions with Seoul's Global Urban Policy Bureau, Urban Planning Bureau and Smart City Policy Bureau, the delegation examined the legal framework for integrated planning based on unified geospatial data to manage population, infrastructure and land use information.

The use of simulation tools to forecast infrastructure overload, population density shifts and environmental impacts offers valuable reference for Hanoi as it develops a multi-centered urban structure and reorganizes its historic core.

The delegation also studied Seoul's underground space management system, including detailed mapping and technical standards connecting metro stations, commercial facilities and underground public infrastructure.

This experience provides references as Hanoi expands its urban railway network and gradually utilizes underground space for transportation and services.

At sessions with the Smart City Bureau and the TOPIS Traffic Information Center, the delegation explored intelligent transport operations using real-time data from cameras, sensors and vehicle tracking devices.

Big data analysis to adjust signal cycles, regulate traffic at key intersections and integrate public transport operations offers useful lessons for Hanoi's modern traffic management system.

The delegation worked with Seoul's Disaster and Safety Countermeasures Headquarters and surveyed the Sinwol-dong underground rainwater storage system, located 40–50 meters below ground and nearly five kilometers long with a capacity exceeding 300,000 tons, to learn about integrated urban water basin management.

This includes separating wastewater and rainwater systems, operating large-scale underground reservoirs and applying extreme rainfall forecasting models for early flood warnings.

These insights provide an important foundation for Hanoi's long-term solutions to flooding bottlenecks.

Field surveys of the Cheonggyecheon Stream restoration project demonstrated an ecological and public-space-centered urban regeneration approach combining water environment improvement, traffic reorganization and service economy development.

The transformation of an old overpass into the Seoullo 7017 pedestrian park illustrates the reuse of outdated transport infrastructure to expand green space and enhance urban living standards.

From this experience, the delegation drew lessons on managing inner-city rivers as central landscape axes rather than mere drainage channels. Restoring the To Lich and Nhue rivers should align with separating wastewater, supplementing clean water and organizing riverbank landscapes.

Experience with large-scale underground drainage infrastructure also suggests research directions for deep water storage facilities in flood-prone basins using underground construction technology to minimize urban disruption.

The delegation recognized the value of repurposing infrastructure to expand public space and greenery and emphasized data-based urban governance in traffic and disaster management.

During the trip, the delegation met with the Vietnamese Embassy in South Korea to discuss investment cooperation trends, especially in environmental technology, smart infrastructure and high-quality technical workforce training.

The embassy pledged continued support in connecting Hanoi with partners and sharing strategic information for the capital's development.

Based on discussions and field research, Hanoi will study pilot proposals to renovate sections of inner-city rivers through integrated environmental treatment, public space development and services; accelerate underground space planning; and establish mechanisms to encourage private sector participation in urban regeneration and heritage preservation.

Seoul's experience also shows that large-scale project success depends on broad social dialogue, an important governance factor for Hanoi.

The working program strengthened cooperation between localities of both countries and allowed direct access to advanced urban governance models.

These lessons will serve as key references for Hanoi's 100-year master plan and policy formulation aimed at building a green, smart and sustainable capital.