RoK praises Vietnam’s investment climate; Legislative leader joins farmers at unity festival; Authorities to crack down on illegal mines

RoK National Assembly Speaker Kim Hyong-O.

The Korean official made the statement at a meeting with his Vietnamese counterpart, Nguyen Phu Trong, in Hanoi on November 15.

Mr Hyong-O, who is on an official visit to Vietnam from November 14-18, said Vietnam boasts political stability and high security and social order, which inspires Korean investors to increase their business in the country.

The top RoK legislator affirmed that he will continue supporting Vietnam at bilateral and multilateral forums, especially when Vietnam assumes the ASEAN presidency and the RoK hosts the G20 summit in 2010.

For his part, National Assembly Chairman Nguyen Phu Trong thanked the RoK for giving Vietnam official development aid (ODA) and for having recognized Vietnam as a market economy.

Mr Hyung-O and Mr Trong agreed to further strengthen the exchange of visits by legislative delegations from the two countries and to promote bilateral cooperation in various fields.

Over the past 17 years, Vietnam-RoK trade revenues have increased by 20 times, and bilateral investment by tenfold.

The two countries are striving to raise two-way trade to US$20 billion in 2015.

Legislative leader joins farmers at unity festival

National Assembly Chairman Nguyen Phu Trong attended a festival of national unity on November 14 in Bo Duong hamlet in the northern delta province of Hai Duong.

The chief legislator asked the local villagers to uphold their national tradition of solidarity. “Great unity has brought the nation from one victory to another during the long process of national construction and defence”, Mr. Trong said.

Bo Duong has successfully promoted the local pride as the native home of national hero Khuc Thua Du, who laid a foundation for national independence more than 10 centuries ago to be recognised as a cultural residential quarter.

All villagers in the working age group are employed with an average annual per-capita income of VND8.5 million.

More than three-quarters of the local households are well-off and every family have a television or radio receiver, as well as access to electricity and safe water.

On this occasion, NA Chairman Trong visited and presented gifts to Dang Van Chien, a 89-year-old father of fallen soldiers, and a local kindergarten.

He also lit incense sticks and planted a souvenir tree at the temple dedicated to national hero Khuc Thua Du.

Authorities to crack down on illegal mines

Following the deaths of 13 people at a gold mine in Quang Nam Province’s Bac Tra My District, local authorities have ordered the mine closed.

Moreover, local authorities will enhance investigations for those who organize illegal gold exploitation and impose severe penalties on them to prevent future deaths from landslides.

Province authorities ordered local governments in the district’s of Phuoc Son, Hiep Duc, Tay Giang, Bac Tra My to directly supervise the activity in landslide-prone areas.

Some 18 workers of Truong Son Company died five years ago when there was a landslide at a mine in Phuoc Son District.

PV