South Korea and Vietnam have pledged to boost annual trade to $150 billion by 2030, signing 10 cooperation deals as new U.S. tariffs disrupt global supply chains.
South Korean President Lee Jae Myung hosted Vietnamese Communist Party general secretary To Lam in Seoul on Monday, marking his first state guest since taking office in June. The two leaders avoided public mention of U.S. President Donald Trump’s new levies — 15% on South Korean exports to the U.S. and 20% on Vietnamese goods — but emphasised the need to safeguard bilateral trade and investment.
Vietnam’s trade with South Korea was worth about $86.8 billion in 2024, official figures show. Lam said he welcomed further South Korean investment, noting that some 10,000 Korean companies are already operating in Vietnam. Lee said those firms “contribute to Vietnam’s economic development and mutually beneficial cooperation between the two countries.”
The governments signed 10 memoranda of understanding covering nuclear and renewable energy, finance, science and technology, and infrastructure such as high-speed rail. Lam, addressing Yonsei University in Seoul, urged South Korean firms to expand their presence in Vietnam and warned of the risks from fragmenting supply chains.
He called for joint development of semiconductors and new materials, and for South Korea to help train Vietnamese workers in sectors including artificial intelligence, biotechnology and shipbuilding.
Major South Korean companies, including Samsung Electronics, have long used Vietnam as a manufacturing and export hub, benefiting from lower labour costs, tax incentives and Hanoi’s network of free trade agreements. Potential areas for future investment include nuclear energy, LNG power plants and high-speed rail projects, Vietnamese officials said.
Iran warned U.S. forces on Monday not to enter the Strait of Hormuz after President Donald Trump said the United S...
European leaders are meeting in Yerevan on Monday (4 May) for the eighth gathering of the European Political Co...
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European allies are stepping up efforts to meet military commitments following criticism from U.S. President Donald Trump, according to NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte.
Minval Politika has released a third set of footage it says shows former International Criminal Court prosecutor Luis Moreno Ocampo discussing the use of artificial intelligence in a project linked to Armenia and ‘Nagorno-Karabakh’.
Start your day informed with the AnewZ Morning Brief. Here are the top stories for the 4th of May, covering the latest developments you need to know.
A tanker reported being hit by unknown projectiles in the Strait of Hormuz, a maritime security organisation said on Monday, shortly after President Donald Trump said the U.S. would start helping free ships stranded in the Gulf by the U.S.-Israeli war on Iran.
Ukraine is monitoring “unusual activity” along its border with Belarus, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said in a video statement released on Saturday (2 May). He warned that Kyiv is ready to respond if necessary amid continued regional tensions linked to Russia’s war.
Hundreds of young people in South Korea have gathered in Seoul to take part in a city-backed “power nap contest”, aimed at drawing attention to the country’s chronic sleep deprivation.
Türkiye’s Vice President Cevdet Yılmaz is set to visit Armenia in early May to take part in the 8th European Political Community Summit, in what will be the highest-level Turkish visit to the country to date. Meanwhile, German Chancellor Friedrich Merz is reportedly expected to miss the forum.
China has moved to block U.S. sanctions on five of its oil refineries, in a fresh escalation of tensions over trade and energy policy.
U.S. President Donald Trump has said he will “soon be reviewing” a new 14-point proposal sent by Iran, casting doubt on the chances of a deal after Tehran called for security guarantees, an end to naval blockades and a halt to the war across the region, including in Lebanon.
U.S. President Donald Trump has said he will raise tariffs on cars and trucks imported from the European Union to 25% next week, up from the 15% level agreed last year, accusing the bloc of failing to comply with its trade commitments.
The decision by the United Arab Emirates to leave OPEC+ on 1 May has put renewed focus on one of the most influential groups in global energy - and how its decisions can shape oil prices worldwide.
The United Arab Emirates has said it's quitting OPEC from 1 May, dealing a major blow to the oil producers’ group and its de facto leader, Saudi Arabia, amid disruption caused by the Iran war.
As the Iran war disrupts global flows of oil and gas and energy prices skyrocket, the Drin River, which descends through the mountains of northern Albania, is acting as a kind of shield.
China has ordered Meta to unwind its more than $2 billion acquisition of artificial intelligence start-up Manus, marking a major escalation in Beijing’s scrutiny of foreign investment in sensitive technology sectors. The order was issued on Monday by the National Development and Reform Commission.
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