Seoul Mayor Oh Se-hoon will embark on a six-day trip to Vietnam and Malaysia to deepen city-to-city cooperation and strengthen Seoul’s global presence, the city government announced. The visit comes as Korean culture continues to surge in popularity across Southeast Asia, creating new opportunities for business, tourism and cultural exchange.
The mayor will begin his trip in Hanoi, where he will attend the 2025 Seoul–Hanoi Urban Policy Sharing Forum and meet the chair of the Hanoi People’s Committee. He will discuss collaboration in smart-city development, digital governance and waterfront redevelopment—areas Hanoi is prioritizing as it prepares new development projects along the Hong River. Oh will also meet Korean businesses in the city and visit the Seoul Beauty Promotion & Experience Center, an event showcasing K-beauty products to local consumers.
After visiting Hanoi’s Bat Trang Ceramic Village, Oh will travel to Kuala Lumpur to participate in tourism promotion events and study Malaysia’s River of Life waterfront restoration project. He will also meet with members of AGIKO, a major Malaysian network of Korean-educated alumni, to strengthen long-term cooperation.
The trip will conclude with the signing of an agreement between the Seoul Business Agency and TikTok Southeast Asia to support Seoul companies entering the region’s fast-growing media commerce market. Oh is expected to return to Seoul on Monday night.
