Vietnam, RoK sign fisheries cooperation pact, targeting sustainable development

According to the Ministry of Agriculture and Environment , on the afternoon of August 8, held a bilateral meeting with Minister Chun Jae-Soo, during which the two sides signed the MoU to underscored the friendship between the two nations while marking a new phase in their fisheries partnership.

“Vietnam considers fisheries a key pillar in its sustainable marine economic development strategy,” Acting Minister Tran Duc Thang said. “We look forward to learning from South Korea’s experience, and propose key cooperation priorities including sustainable fisheries development, modern marine aquaculture technology transfer, ocean plastic waste management, human resource training, and seafood trade promotion.”

Mr. Thang emphasized the substantial potential for fisheries investment and trade between the two countries and proposed that South Korea introduce businesses to invest in Vietnam’s marine aquaculture sector. South Korea is currently the largest foreign investor in Vietnam, with more than 9,700 FDI projects, and the country’s third-largest trading partner.

Vietnam expressed interest in adopting environmentally friendly, industrial-scale cage farming technology and invited South Korean businesses to invest through public-private partnership (PPP) models.

He pledged to direct the effective implementation of the MoU and related cooperation programs, and extended an invitation for Minister Chun to visit Vietnam to explore opportunities and discuss strategic directions for elevating the partnership.

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Minister Chun welcomed the Vietnamese delegation and praised the country’s abundant marine potential and its role in global seafood trade.

He noted that relations have steadily advanced since the first cooperation MoU was signed in 2002. The latest MoU, he said, is an important milestone that will usher in broader and deeper cooperation in the fisheries sector.

Acting Minister of Agriculture and Environment of Vietnam Tran Duc Thang held a bilateral meeting with South Korean Minister of Oceans and Fisheries Chun Jae-soo. (Photo: Thanh Nguyen).

Minister Chun affirmed South Korea’s readiness to transfer technology, including the application of artificial intelligence in fisheries, expand training programs, and transfer modern technical expertise to Vietnam.

Both sides agreed to intensifying cooperation in marine aquaculture, sustainable fisheries development, and the sharing of technology for catch monitoring and traceability to address the EU’s IUU yellow card, and expanding seafood trade and investment for the 2026–2030 period.

Since establishing diplomatic ties more than 30 years ago, Vietnam and South Korea have upgraded their relationship to a comprehensive strategic partnership, achieving notable successes in multiple sectors. South Korea is Vietnam’s largest foreign investor, with total registered capital nearing USD 85 billion. In 2024, bilateral trade reached USD 82.1 billion, with seafood accounting for over USD 890 million, more than USD 800 million from Vietnam’s exports.

Source:  https://seafood.vasep.com.vn/