Vietnam, North Korea deepen defence ties in Hanoi — SkimNews
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- Nguyen Truong Thang hosted North Korean Deputy Defence Minister Ryo Chol Ung in Hanoi on Sept 24, with Vietnam's Defence Ministry calling defence cooperation "a key area" of the two countries' bilateral ties.
- Vietnam's Defence Ministry cited "positive results" in existing cooperation, specifically in delegation exchanges, party and political work, and education and training.
- Both sides committed to implementing a defence cooperation letter of intent signed in 2025, with Ryo and Thang discussing additional matters related to bilateral military ties.
- Vietnam and the DPRK are among the world's five remaining communist-ruled states alongside China, Cuba, and Laos, with diplomatic relations dating to the Cold War.
- In August, Vietnam announced plans to build a memorial and renovate a cemetery dedicated to North Korean servicemen killed while fighting in the Vietnam War.
Why it matters: Two of only five remaining communist-ruled states are moving from a 2025 defence cooperation letter of intent to active implementation across delegation exchanges, ideological party-political work, and military education and training. The August pledge to memorialize North Korean Vietnam War dead adds a historical-renewal dimension, signaling the Cold War-era alliance is being actively deepened rather than passively maintained.
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