Published:  14:13 Tuesday - July 10, 2012

The 3rd festival of Vietnamese culture and tourism got underway in Seoul , the Republic of Korea on July 8 as part of a range of activities marking the 20 th anniversary of Vietnam-RoK diplomatic ties.

The event was co- organised by the Department of International Cooperation at the Vietnamese Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism; the promotions office for establishing the Vietnamese-RoK cultural exchange centre; the Vietnamese Embassy in the RoK and the host country’s Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism.

When speaking at the opening ceremony, Vietnam ’s Ambassador to the RoK Tran Trong Toan highlighted the increasing development of ties between Vietnam and the RoK in all fields, especially in culture and tourism exchange.

He said that the wave of Korean culture that has been sweeping across Vietnam , including movies, music, fashion and cuisine, has attracted a lot of interest from many Vietnamese people, while Vietnamese culture and arts are also warmly welcomed in the RoK.

The 116,000 strong Vietnamese community in the Rok and the 130,000 Rok citizens in Vietnam all contribute to promoting mutual understanding, trust, friendship and effective cooperation between both countries, stressed Toan.

He said that both governments attach a great deal of importance to enhancing cultural exchanges and promoting tourism in both countries, adding that this year’s festival provides Vietnam with the opportunity to spotlight the country’s countryside, culture and art.

At the ceremony, Kee Ock, the General Director of the RoK company Kumho Engineering and Construction, an arm of the Kumho Asiana Group, was awarded the Insignia for Peace and Friendship amongst Nations, for the Group’s contributions to RoK-Vietnamese friendship in recent times.

While speaking at the awards ceremony, Kee Ock pledged to contribute more to developing friendship between the two countries in the future.

In the framework of the festival, a programme of Vietnamese and RoK traditional arts and music took place.

Before a series of other activities, such as workshops and promotions for tourist destinations in Vietnam; photographic exhibitions; art and crafts exhibitions and a culinary festival were also held as part of the third festival.

Source: VNA