Speaking at a meeting on May 16, Vietnamese Health Minister Nguyen Thi Kim Tien said that Vietnam has imported many famous foodstuffs from the RoK, while exporting many others to the nation. Many types of Korean drugs are also available in Vietnam.

Tien stressed that the Vietnamese Government and Health Ministry always encourage new and high-quality products as well as investment of Korean firms in the fields of food and pharmaceuticals.

Korean Minister of Food and Drug Safety Ryu Youngjin stated that the two ministries have paid attention to bilateral cooperation in order to improve the two countries’ public health.

The signing of the MoU is to establish a cooperation mechanism towards the annual organisation of ministerial meetings in the time ahead, Ryu added.

At the event, the RoK side showed its interest in several regulations of Vietnam, including a draft circular on revisions to drug bidding in public health care facilities, and changes of hygiene standards on RoK’s kimchi and seaweed.