Key facts
- Vietnam and North Korea will deepen defense cooperation.
- The countries' deputy defense ministers met in Hanoi this week.
- Defense cooperation has been a key area of focus for both nations.
- Areas of cooperation include delegation exchanges, party and political work, and education and training.
- Vietnam and North Korea have maintained diplomatic ties since the Cold War.
Vietnam and North Korea have pledged to deepen their defense cooperation, with Vietnam's defense ministry announcing the move after talks between the countries' deputy defense ministers in Hanoi this week. The ministry stated that the cooperation has seen "positive results" in areas including delegation exchanges, party and political work, and education and training.
Nguyen Truong Thang, Vietnam's deputy defense minister, met with his North Korean counterpart, Ryo Chol Ung, on Thursday. Thang emphasized that defense cooperation has always been a key area of attention and promotion for the leadership of both countries within the framework of their traditional friendship. He called for the implementation of a defense cooperation letter of intent signed in 2025.
Ryo Chol Ung spoke highly of the traditional ties between the two ruling parties, states, and armed forces, and discussed bilateral defense cooperation matters. Vietnam and North Korea have maintained diplomatic ties dating back to the Cold War, and are among the world's five communist-ruled countries.