Climate minister meets Vietnam's industry and trade minister to discuss cooperation on power grids, renewable energy and nuclear power

Kim Sung-hwan (left), minister of Climate, Environment and Energy, meets with Le Manh Hung, Vietnam's minister of Industry and Trade, at the Government Complex Seoul annex in Jongno-gu, Seoul, on Thursday morning to discuss ways to expand energy cooperation. [Ministry of Climate, Environment and Energy]
Kim Sung-hwan (left), minister of Climate, Environment and Energy, meets with Le Manh Hung, Vietnam's minister of Industry and Trade, at the Government Complex Seoul annex in Jongno-gu, Seoul, on Thursday morning to discuss ways to expand energy cooperation. [Ministry of Climate, Environment and Energy]

South Korea's Ministry of Climate, Environment and Energy said Thursday that Minister Kim Sung-hwan met with Le Manh Hung, Vietnam's minister of Industry and Trade, at the Government Complex Seoul in Jongno-gu to discuss concrete steps for implementing bilateral energy cooperation as a follow-up to the two countries' April summit.

Vietnam has been pushing to expand power generation capacity, upgrade transmission and distribution networks, scale up renewable energy deployment and develop nuclear power in response to surging electricity demand driven by rapid economic growth and industrialization.

The push to expand power infrastructure to support stable electricity supply and the country's energy transition has grown more urgent.

At the meeting, Kim said he planned to explore opportunities for joint projects in power infrastructure, drawing on South Korea's accumulated experience in building and operating electricity grids, and to discuss ways to deepen exchanges in renewable energy policy, regulatory systems and industry. The two sides also looked at areas where both countries could cooperate across the full nuclear power cycle, including plant development and operation as well as workforce training.

The ministry said it would also ask the Vietnamese government for continued attention and support to help South Korean companies operating in Vietnam carry out their projects smoothly.

"Vietnam is a comprehensive strategic partner of our country and a key energy cooperation partner in the ASEAN region," Kim said. "Building on the foundation laid through the April summit, we will work to deliver tangible results that contribute to both countries' successful energy transitions and stable electricity supply."


thlee@heraldcorp.com