The festival was co-organised by the local Vietnamese Association (VA) and the Vietnamese Embassy in the RoK with several Korean businesses, including the Kumho Construction Company, sponsoring the event.

Addressing the opening ceremony, VA President Tran Hai Linh said that the festival is taking place as both countries are preparing to celebrate the 20 th anniversary of diplomatic ties.

The festival will portray Vietnam's traditional cultural identities to international friends and give the Vietnamese community in the RoK an opportunity to get together and remember their homeland, he said.

He thanked the Kumho Tires Group, Korea Investments & Securities (KIS) and social organisations in the RoK for their valuable contributions, both materially and spiritually, that have enabled the festival to take place.

According to Ambassador Tran Trong Toan, as friendship and cooperation between both countries continue to expand, the Vietnamese community in the RoK is growing strongly, enhancing solidarity and mutual support while preserving the culture, language and traditions of the Vietnamese nation.

The annual festival features a range of activities including fashion shows of Ao dai (Vietnam's traditional long dress) and palm-leaf conical hats, folk games, a folk singing contest and the re-enactment of a traditional Vietnamese wedding party.

Visitors also have the chance to enjoy special dishes from the country's three regions and performances by artists from Vietnam and the host city.