The Korea Times
President Lee Jae Myung embarked on a state visit to Vietnam, Tuesday, marking a reciprocal visit between the leaders of the two countries and fueling expectations that the trip will work in Korea’s favor in advancing its “global south” diplomacy. Lee is the first foreign head of state to visit Vietnam since the start of its new government earlier this month. To, who serves concurrently as general secretary of the ruling Communist Party, was elected president by Vietnam's National Assembly on April 7 in a consolidation of power typical of the country's political system. Lee’s trip comes in response to To’s state visit to Korea in August 2025, when To was already Vietnam’s most powerful political figure as the top party leader. His trip to Korea took place just two months after Lee took office following a snap election victory, making To the first foreign leader to visit the country. “To’s Korea visit carried significant meaning for development to bilateral relations, and this context, Lee’s Vietnam visit in a reciprocal gesture also highly symbolic,” Ahn Kyong-hwan, a
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