President Lee to Host Banquet with General Secretary Trong on the Evening of the 11th
Chung Euisun, Koo Kwangmo, and Shin Dongbin to Attend
Also, the General Secretary of the Communist Party of Vietnam, Nguyen Phu Trong, and his spouse are moving after arriving at Seoul Airport on the 10th. Yonhap News
President Lee Jaemyung and his spouse will host a state banquet on the evening of the 11th to commemorate the state visit to Korea by Nguyen Phu Trong, General Secretary of the Communist Party of Vietnam.
Kang Yujeong, spokesperson for the presidential office, announced in a written briefing on this day that a total of 66 people, including President Lee and his spouse as well as key figures from the political and business sectors, will attend the banquet. From the presidential office, major aides such as Chief of Staff Kang Hunsik and National Security Advisor Wi Sunglak will be present, along with government ministers including Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Economy and Finance Koo Yooncheol. Kim Taenyon, a Democratic Party lawmaker and former president of the 21st National Assembly Korea-Vietnam Parliamentary Friendship Association, and Kim Seokki, a People Power Party lawmaker and current chair of the 22nd National Assembly Foreign Affairs and Unification Committee, are also included on the guest list.
From the private sector, leading business figures will attend. The invitees include SK Group Chairman and Korea Chamber of Commerce and Industry Chairman Chey Taewon, Hyundai Motor Group Chairman Chung Euisun, LG Group Chairman Koo Kwangmo, and Lotte Group Chairman Shin Dongbin. Spokesperson Kang noted, "These are business leaders who have actively expanded into Vietnam." Also attending are Kang Hodong, president of the National Agricultural Cooperative Federation, Jung Sanghyuk, president of Shinhan Bank, Lee Junghoon, CEO of Seoul Semiconductor, and Choi Jinsik, chairman of SFA and president of the Korea Federation of Mid-sized Enterprises. In addition, Park Hangseo, former head coach of the Vietnam national football team who received a medal from the Vietnamese government, and actor Ahn Jaewook, who gained great popularity in Vietnam, will join the banquet.
On the Vietnamese side, 55 people will participate, including General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong and his spouse Ngo Phuong Lien, Nguyen Duy Ngoc, chairman of the Central Inspection Commission, Luong Tam Quang, Minister of Public Security, and Phan Van Giang, Minister of National Defense.
The banquet will begin with the national anthems of both countries played in succession, followed by a welcoming toast and remarks by President Lee. This will be followed by a return toast and remarks from General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong, after which the banquet and conversation will proceed. The banquet menu will feature specialty products from Bonghwa, North Gyeongsang Province. Spokesperson Kang explained that Bonghwa is a region where the Hwasan Lee clan, descendants of Vietnamese prince Lee Yong-sang who settled on the Korean Peninsula at the end of the Goryeo Dynasty, established themselves after the Korean War. For the toast, 'Omyrose Yeon,' a Korean wine that won the grand prize in the Korean wine category at the 2024 Korea Alcoholic Beverage Awards, has been selected.
After the banquet, there will be a collaborative performance by the Gyeonggi Sinawi Orchestra and Vietnamese traditional dan bau musician Yang Baokan, as well as a traditional Cheo performance by the Vietnam National Traditional Theatre. Afterwards, renowned Korean new-age pianist Yiruma will perform his signature pieces. Yiruma is known as the Korean musician whom General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong and his spouse, both classical music enthusiasts, have expressed the strongest desire to meet.
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