Seoul: Vietnam remained the Republic of Korea (RoK)’s third-largest trade partner for the second straight year in 2023, data showed.
The RoK’s trade with Vietnam came to 79.43 billion USD last year, with exports shrinking 12.3% to 53.49 billion USD, according to the Korea International Trade Association (KITA).
Imports from Vietnam also dropped 2.9% on-year to 25.94 billion USD, and the RoK’s trade surplus shrank 19.5% to 27.55 billion USD.
Vietnam outstripped Japan for the second consecutive year in 2023 to retain the No. 3 spot, following China and the US with 267.66 billion USD and 186.96 billion USD, respectively.
KITA attributed last year’s drop in trade with and exports to Vietnam to falling chip exports. The RoK’s semiconductor shipments to Vietnam tumbled 21.6% on-year to 12.73 billion USD in 2023.
Four other exports — flat panels and sensors, petroleum products, wireless communications equipment, and synthetic resins — also went down last year, according to the data.
The RoK’s trade with Viet
nam has been growing exponentially since the two countries established diplomatic relations in 1992, when bilateral trade reached only 500 million USD.
Bilateral trade volume gained further momentum as the RoK and Vietnam signed a free trade agreement in 2014.
Vietnam was the RoK’s eighth-largest trading partner that year, but its ranking surged to fourth place a year later. In 2022, Vietnam outpaced Japan and became the RoK’s third-largest trading partner for the first time./.
Source: Vietnam News Agency
Da Nang: Aero K, an airline of the Republic of Korea, and Da Nang city’s Tourism Department on February 5 evening held a ceremony to launch a new route connecting the RoK’s Cheongju to the central city of Vietnam.
According to the Korean carrier, Da Nang is the first city in Vietnam that Aero K has chosen to operate regular flights from Cheongju to Da Nang with a frequency of one flight every day. The first flight is scheduled to depart from Cheongju at 10:05 pm on February 5 and land in Da Nang at 00:45 am the next day. The return trip departs from Da Nang at 2:15 am on the same day.
Deputy Director of the Da Nang Tourism Promotion Centre Mai Thi Thanh Hai said that Aero K’s flights from Cheongju – Da Nang and vice versa will offer opportunities and choices for travellers of the two countries in general and two localities in particularly, especially during the coming Lunar New Year 2024.
Besides the launch ceremony, the city’s tourism department and the Korean airline are joining hands in holding a welcom
e ceremony for 170 passengers onboard the first Aero K flight from Cheongju to Da Nang.
The RoK is the leading international market for Da Nang tourism. There are 23 – 25 flights from major Korean cities such as Seoul, Busan, Daegu, Muan, and Cheongju, or more than 50% of the total number of international flights to Da Nang a day.
According to Da Nang International Airport, during the Lunar New Year 2024 lasting from February 8 to 14, about 894 flights are expected to arrive in Da Nang, an increase of 16% over the same period last year.
During the period, the city expects to welcome nearly 362,000 visitors, including 172,000 foreigners, up 23% from the same period last year./.
Source: Vietnam News Agency
