A Vietnamese cultural festival was held at Sejong University, the Republic of Korea (RoK) on October 29 under the auspices of the Vietnamese Embassy in the RoK, as part of activities to mark the 25th anniversary of diplomatic ties between the two countries.
The event, the seventh of its kind, was attended by thousands of Vietnamese labourers, students, members of Viet Nam-RoK multicultural families and representatives from local authorities.
Vietnamese Ambassador to the RoK Nguyen Vu Tu lauded the Vietnamese community’s efforts to organise the festival, expressing his hope that it will help bolster bilateral relations in various fields, especially people-to-people exchanges.
The two countries elevated their ties to a strategic partnership in 2009 and have enjoyed fruitful cooperation in people-to-people exchange and culture, he affirmed, adding that the festival will promote understanding between the two peoples.
Nguyen Ngoc Cam, Honourary Mayor of Seoul and Chairwoman of the Vietnamese Association in the RoK, stressed the significance of the festival in popularising Vietnamese culture to RoK friends and tightening ties between the two countries.
Meanwhile, Kim Yong-han, an official from the Seoul government, spoke highly of the Vietnamese Association’s development over the years, contributing to strengthening friendship between both sides.
She committed to doing her utmost to help Vietnamese people integrate into Korean society.
Members of the association were honoured at the event for their efforts to introduce Vietnamese images and culture to international friends.
Besides activities including art performances, traditional cuisine and folk games, the festival also featured an exhibition on Hoang Sa (Paracel) and Truong Sa (Spratly) archipelagos, affirming Viet Nam’s sovereignty of the two islands.