The meeting took place as part of the 23rd Asia Water Council Summit and the 2025 AWC Technical Workshop, contributing to the implementation of strategic commitments agreed upon by senior leaders of Vietnam and South Korea under the Vietnam–South Korea Comprehensive Strategic Partnership.

Deputy Minister Le Cong Thanh met with AWC Chairman and K-water CEO Seogdae Yun on the sidelines of the 23rd Asia Water Council Summit and the 2025 AWC Technical Workshop

Joint action for regional water security

At the meeting, Deputy Minister Le Cong Thanh praised the pioneering role of AWC and K-water in advancing regional water cooperation. He affirmed Vietnam’s support for the Hanoi Initiative, a technical cooperation program aimed at building resilient and adaptive smart water governance.

According to the Deputy Minister, this initiative represents not only a political commitment but also practical action for regional countries to collaborate on transboundary basin management, flood control, and water security. He emphasized: “Vietnam is ready to work alongside AWC and South Korea in research programs, investment projects, and technology transfer, aiming for a transparent, modern, and fully digitized water governance system.”

Deputy Minister Le Cong Thanh noted that Vietnam’s administrative restructuring and urbanization are creating urgent needs for clean water infrastructure and wastewater treatment. The country also faces increasing demand for smart urban water management. In this context, Vietnam seeks to strengthen cooperation with partners with technological expertise and practical experience, such as K-water, to develop large-scale projects under public–private partnerships (PPP) and Official Development Assistance (ODA) models.

Deputy Minister Le Cong Thanh highlighted South Korea’s and K-water’s contributions to Vietnam through the Korea–Mekong Water Resources Cooperation Research Center, especially in smart technologies for water monitoring and forecasting

During the meeting, the Deputy Minister also proposed creating a priority project portfolio for 2026–2030 with AWC, K-water, and relevant Korean agencies and enterprises. The focus would be on smart water resources management, monitoring and forecasting systems, national water databases, and training of high-quality human resources. These priorities are seen as strategic steps to implement the Hanoi Initiative and advance digital transformation in Vietnam’s water sector.

Towards smart water governance and sustainable development

From the South Korean side, AWC Chairman Seogdae Yun highlighted that South Korea had once faced severe droughts and floods but successfully reduced disaster impacts through AI, IoT, and satellite technology in water management. He affirmed that South Korea’s experience demonstrated that technology is a crucial tool for improving regulation, monitoring, and water security, and expressed his readiness to share knowledge and strengthen cooperation with Vietnam in the digitalization of the water sector.

Both sides agreed to expand cooperation through the Korea-Mekong Cooperation Research Center (KMCRC) and to promote new projects on satellite monitoring, flood forecasting models, and intercountry digital data sharing. Vietnam is expected to become a regional hub in the Asia water information system.

The meeting took place amid growing Vietnam–South Korea Comprehensive Strategic Partnership, following General Secretary To Lam’s visit in August 2025 that opened new avenues for cooperation in water, climate, and green growth

Deputy Minister Le Cong Thanh reaffirmed that digital transformation in the water sector is essential to ensure water security, green development, and climate adaptation. He expressed hope that AWC and K-water would continue supporting Vietnam in enhancing technical capacity, particularly for the National Center for Water Resources Planning and Investigation, a key agency in river basin data digitization and smart system operation.

The meeting occurred amid the increasingly deepened Vietnam–South Korea Comprehensive Strategic Partnership, particularly following General Secretary To Lam’s official visit to South Korea in August 2025, which opened up multiple opportunities for cooperation in water, climate, and green growth.

Both sides committed to translating the discussions at the 23rd AWC Summit into concrete actions, contributing to regional water security and sustainable development in Asia.

Khanh Linh - Ngoc Huyen