Multicultural families: Bridges strengthening Viet Nam–Korea friendship

In Seoul, Counsellor Nguyen Thi Thai Binh, Vietnamese Embassy in the Republic of Korea, recently attended the 18th Global Family Award Ceremony organised by the Hana Namun Foundation.

The event was attended by Mr. Jung Goo Chang, Vice Minister of Gender Equality and Family of Korea; Mr. Seunglyul Lee, Vice Chairman of Hana Financial Group; representatives of Korean agencies and organisations; and hundreds of multicultural families from many countries.

Held annually for nearly two decades, the programme not only honours exemplary families that have overcome differences in language and culture to build happy homes, but also spreads a message of sharing, integration and respect for diversity in Korean society.

In their opening remarks, Mr. Jung Goo Chang and Mr. Seunglyul Lee both affirmed that multicultural families have become an important and inseparable part of Korean society, helping enrich cultural life, strengthen social cohesion, contribute to the country's sustainable development and promote exchanges between Korea and countries around the world.

This year, families with Vietnamese brides once again made a special mark by winning one special prize, one Happy Family award and three Promising Family awards, the strongest result among the families honoured from countries including Thailand, China, Uzbekistan and Madagascar. These awards recognised the resilience, love and persistent dedication of Vietnamese brides and their families in building new lives in Korea.

Counsellor Nguyen Thi Thai Binh personally congratulated the honoured families and expressed her emotion at the stories of companionship, sacrifice and connection among multicultural couples. She said that each multicultural family is not only a happy home but also a "bridge" connecting the two peoples, where the best values of Vietnamese and Korean culture are preserved, shared and passed on through generations.

Vietnamese mothers, through love, perseverance and sacrifice, have helped raise generations of citizens who carry both cultures within them, know how to cherish their roots and become ambassadors of friendship between the two countries. It is from these modest homes that the Viet Nam–Korea Comprehensive Strategic Partnership is nourished by strong people-to-people ties.

The Vietnamese Embassy in Korea highly valued the contributions of the Hana Namun Foundation and Hana Financial Group in supporting multicultural families over the past 18 years, helping build a more open, inclusive and humane Korean society. The Embassy affirmed that it will continue working with Korean agencies and organisations to support the Vietnamese community, especially multicultural families, so that they can stabilise their lives, raise successful children, contribute to the development of Viet Nam and Korea, and continue to serve as an important bridge of friendship and cooperation between the two countries.

As the two countries continue to deepen their Comprehensive Strategic Partnership, the more than 100,000 Viet Nam–Korea multicultural families are a precious asset in bilateral relations. Each happy family stands as a vivid testament to the close bond between the two peoples, helping write the next chapter of cooperation, trust and sharing between Viet Nam and Korea through the simplest yet most enduring moments.

Source: Vietnamese Embassy in Korea