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Korea extends condolences over death of former Vietnamese president

Published: 25 May. 2025, 12:27 Updated: 25 May. 2025, 18:14

A respect-paying ceremony for former Vietnamese President Tran Duc Luong takes place in Hanoi, Vietnam, on May 24. [XINHUA/YONHAP]

Korea's First Vice Foreign Minister Kim Hong-kyun expressed his condolences Saturday over the death of former Vietnamese President Tran Duc Luong, his office said.

Luong died on Tuesday at the age of 88, and a mourning altar was set up at the Vietnamese Embassy in Seoul.

"The Korean government highly values the late president's contributions to Vietnam's national development and the advancement of the bilateral relations. We extend our heartfelt condolences to his family, the people of Vietnam and the Vietnamese government," Kim was quoted as saying by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

Luong, who served as Vietnam's president from 1997 through 2006, was the first Vietnamese head of state to make a state visit to Korea in 2001 and played a key role in establishing the "Comprehensive Partnership for the 21st Century" between the two countries.

Yonhap