To commemorate the 75th anniversary of diplomatic relations between Vietnam and the DPRK (January 31, 1950 – January 31, 2025), General Secretary To Lam and President Luong Cuong sent congratulatory messages to Kim Jong Un.

Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh also exchanged greetings with DPRK Premier Pak Thae Song, while National Assembly Chairman Tran Thanh Man sent congratulatory messages to the Chairman of the Supreme People's Assembly of the DPRK, Pak In Chol.

These congratulatory messages from Vietnamese leaders to DPRK leadership affirm that, over the 75 years since the establishment of diplomatic relations, the traditional friendship between Vietnam and the DPRK, which was personally built by President Ho Chi Minh and President Kim Il-sung, has been continuously nurtured and developed by successive generations of leaders and the people of both countries.

The Party, State, and people of Vietnam always place great importance on, and wish to further strengthen, the cooperative relations with the DPRK in a more substantial way across various fields, in line with the aspirations of the two peoples, and in accordance with the international commitments of each country, contributing to maintaining peace, stability, cooperation, and development in the region and the world.

Vietnam’s leaders expressed confidence that the two sides will successfully implement activities celebrating the Vietnam-DPRK Friendship Year 2025, with meaningful exchanges and cooperation.

The DPRK’s message to Vietnamese leadership emphasized that the decision to designate 2025 as the "Friendship Year" is in line with the common aspirations and goals of the two nations.

DPRK’s leaders are confident that the longstanding friendship and cooperation between the two countries will continue to strengthen and develop, thereby promoting and advancing the socialist cause of both countries.

On this occasion, Head of the Central Party's External Relations Commission, Le Hoai Trung, exchanged New Year greetings with Kim Song Nam, Head of the International Department of the Workers' Party of Korea. Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs Bui Thanh Son exchanged messages with DPRK Foreign Minister Choe Son Hui.

Vietnam and the DPRK officially established diplomatic relations on January 31, 1950, making it one of the earliest diplomatic relationships for Vietnam. The Communist Party of Vietnam and the Workers' Party of Korea have built a traditional friendly relationship from that time. This bond, initiated by Presidents Ho Chi Minh and Kim Il-sung, has been sustained and developed by subsequent generations of leadership.

The first historic visit between the two countries was President Ho Chi Minh's visit to the DPRK in July 1957. A year later, President Kim Il-sung visited Vietnam. Six years after that, in October 1964, President Kim Il-sung made his second visit to Vietnam.

Since the official visit to Vietnam by General Secretary and President of the State Affairs Commission of the DPRK, Kim Jong Un, in March 2019, relations between the two countries have entered a new phase of development.

Tran Thuong