Vietnam marks Hometown Spring

The Vietnam Embassy in Seoul hosted a Hometown Spring event with the Vietnamese community in Korea on Sunday.

Vietnam’s traditional spring festival symbolizes hope, health, luck and prosperity for the upcoming lunar year.

Attended by more than 500 members of the Vietnamese community, the event not only honored age-old traditions but also highlighted the spirit of togetherness among Vietnamese who have left their hometown.

The Vietnam Embassy's charge d'affaires ad interim Nguyen Viet Anh commended the significant role played by the Vietnamese community in both Vietnam and Korea.

“The goal of this event is to gather and connect Vietnamese residents who left their hometowns and foster a spirit of belongingness to the home country,” said Nguyen Viet Anh.

Despite acknowledging the challenges, Anh expressed happiness and pride in witnessing the continuous improvement of the Vietnamese community.

“As the year 2024 approaches, we hope that our Vietnamese community in Korea will inherit and demonstrate the success and beauty of traditions that we have achieved so far,” he stated.

“We aim to continue being a strong community in the future, contributing to the comprehensive strategic partnership between Korea and Vietnam," added Anh.

In December 2022, South Korea and Vietnam elevated their relationship to a comprehensive strategic partnership, marking the 30th anniversary of their bilateral ties.

The Vietnamese community in Korea is the second-largest among total foreign residents in Korea, according to Justice Ministry.

People-to-people exchanges between the two nations are on the rise, with a growing number of Vietnamese students studying in South Korea.

Post-graduation, some of these students choose to work for South Korean enterprises, contributing to the strengthening economic cooperation between the two countries.

Simultaneously, a growing number of young South Koreans are also showing interest in studying Vietnamese and seeking job opportunities in Vietnam.

Tuan Hung Dao, representing a business association of Vietnamese in Korea, echoed the sentiments of unity and good wishes.

“With Hometown Spring, we not only meet and gather in a Vietnamese environment but also wish good luck to each other and celebrate the new year, Dao told The Korea Herald.

Hometown Spring is very meaningful and warm that brings a very “spring” and hometown atmosphere to the Vietnamese community in Korea, according to Lee Hong-ok, who serves as President of Vietnamese Women Association in Korea.

"This year's event was the largest since the COVID-19 pandemic, I will miss my hometown less after this event," she Lee told The Korea Herald thanking the Vietnamese Embassy.