S. KOREA-VIETNAM SUMMIT JOINT PRESS CONFERENCE

Hello and welcome to our special live coverage of the joint press conference on the summit between President Lee Jae Myung and the chief of Vietnam's Communist Party, To Lam.

President Lee hosted the Vietnamese leader as his first state guest since taking office on June 4th, as Seoul looks to strengthen cooperation with the fourth-largest economy in Southeast Asia.

The two leaders are expected to have addressed a wide range of bilateral issues including politics, national security, trade and investment as well as ways to develop Vietnam's public infrastructure, particularly in nuclear energy and high-speed rail.

This marks the first visit by the general secretary of Vietnam's Communist Party to South Korea since 2014.

Lam, who arrived in Seoul on Sunday for a four-day trip, is expected to attend a state dinner hosted by President Lee where he will meet with heads of major businesses, including Hyundai Motors, SK, and LG.

A number of major South Korean companies including Samsung Electronics have used Vietnam as an export hub, benefiting from lower labor costs and generous tax incentives.

The presidential office said the rare visit by the Vietnamese leader is expected to contribute to favorable conditions for Korean businesses to invest in infrastructure and nuclear energy projects planned in Vietnam.

We see President Lee Jae Myung entering the press conference room.

It appears the press conference is about to start, we'll come back right afterwards.