15/10/2009
By Lee Chi-dong
Source: english.yonhapnews.co.kr
SEOUL, Oct. 15 (Yonhap) -- South Korean President Lee Myung-bak's upcoming trip to Vietnam is expected to open a new chapter in the rapidly developing relations between the Cold War foes-turned-partners in various sectors, including the economy, Hanoi's top envoy here said Thursday.
Amb. Pham Tien Van said Lee and his counterpart, Nguyen Minh Triet, plan to agree in their summit next week to upgrade the two countries' current "comprehensive partnership" to a "strategic cooperative" relationship and seal a package of economic cooperation deals.
He pointed out, however, that Seoul should not "beautify" its participation in the Vietnam War that occurred more than three decades ago if it wants to maintain the momentum of the growing bilateral exchanges.
"President Lee Myung-bak's visit to Vietnam this time has important meaning, as it will provide a chance for the two sides to upgrade their relations by one notch from a long-term perspective and discuss and decide ways to deepen and expand cooperative ties in every field including politics, security, economy, culture (and) ... bilateral and multilateral relations," the envoy said in an interview at his office in Seoul.
He noted the two countries' relations have developed at a breakneck speed, primarily driven by cultural exchanges, since the normalization of diplomatic ties in 1992.
"I think the cultural factor has played a vital role," he said in fluent Korean, which he first studied at Kim Il-sung University in North Korea in the 1960s. "The peoples of the two countries have many similarities in emotional and cultural aspects," he said.
Known as the "Korean Wave," South Korean TV dramas, movies, and music are now popular in Vietnam.
When asked about the sensitive issue of Cold War-era hostility between the two sides, he said, "Bygones are bygones," but added South Korea should be careful not to "rub salt into the wounds of Vietnamese people."
The Vietnamese government took issue with Seoul's recent definition of the Vietnam War.
The South Korean Ministry of Patriots and Veterans Affairs said in a public notice last month that it would push for legislation to give economic compensation and other benefits to veterans who fought alongside the U.S. in the war, saying they "worked for world peace." Over a decade, hundreds of thousands of South Korean troops took part in the war before it ended in 1975.
The expression annoyed Vietnamese officials, who say the war fought was against U.S. aggression. As consultations on the summit agenda met with difficulty due to the issue, South Korean Foreign Minister Yu Myung-hwan hurriedly flew to Hanoi last weekend. According to diplomatic sources, Yu assured Vietnamese officials that his government will not use the phrase "world peace" when referring to Korean veterans' participation in the Vietnam War.
The ambassador also said the two sides have resolved the problem, asking South Korea not to make a similar "mistake."
"If South Korea beautifies its participation in the Vietnam War, it would be an act harming the feelings of Vietnamese people and rubbing salt into their wounds," he said.
With regard to economic cooperation, the envoy said Vietnam hopes South Korean firms will join its massive investment project aimed at industrializing the country by 2020.
"For example, we have cooperated with Japan on the project of linking Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City with high-speed rail, but I think South Korean companies will have a lot of opportunities down the road," he said.
He also called for the South Korean government to make more efforts to help Vietnamese brides and their children better adjust to life here.
More than 40,000 Vietnamese women have immigrated to South Korea after marrying South Korean men, he said.
lcd@yna.co.kr
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