The official go to to the Democratic Folks’s Republic of Korea by Common Secretary of the Communist Get together of Vietnam To Lam from October 9–11, 2025, has attracted particular consideration from worldwide analysts. That is the primary go to by a senior Vietnamese chief to Pyongyang in additional than 17 years and takes place in a risky worldwide context. From a strategic perspective, this go to isn’t solely of a standard diplomatic nature but additionally sends refined messages from Hanoi to main international locations, reflecting Vietnam’s “bamboo diplomacy” mettle.
Worldwide context and bilateral historical past
Northeast Asia is among the most advanced geopolitical hotspots on the earth, the place the pursuits of main powers such because the US, China, Russia, and Japan intersect, whereas additionally containing inherent safety conflicts revolving across the hostile relationship between the North and the South and the problem of denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula. Whereas most international locations preserve their distance from Pyongyang on account of worldwide sanctions, together with North Korea selecting a closed mannequin to make sure regime safety, the truth that a Southeast Asian nation like Vietnam proactively visits a high-level North Korean can’t be thought-about a standard diplomatic motion. It may well solely be defined as a strategic transfer, demonstrating the calculation of the timing and the message that Hanoi desires to ship to main international locations within the context of energy competitors that’s reshaping the Asia-Pacific area.
Traditionally, Vietnam-North Korea relations originated from President Ho Chi Minh’s private relationship with North Korean chief Kim Il-sung and reached their peak when the Vietnam Conflict started (1955-1975), so Pyongyang confirmed sturdy help for the Democratic Republic of Vietnam (DRV) by way of materials help and army coaching help. In response to analysis by James F. Durand printed within the Worldwide Council on Korean Research, North Korea once sent a squadron to support combat in Vietnam during the period 1967-1968, demonstrating deep ideological ties throughout the socialist bloc throughout the Chilly Conflict. Nevertheless, after the Chilly Conflict ended and the Soviet Union collapsed, this relationship steadily declined as Vietnam shifted in the direction of worldwide integration, whereas North Korea selected to keep up a mannequin of self-isolation. Because the early 2000s, relations between the 2 international locations have been restored to regular diplomatic ranges, sustaining bilateral delegation exchanges and cooperation throughout the framework of worldwide boards, however commerce turnover stays very restricted at solely beneath 10 million USD/12 months by 2023.
In recent times, North Korea has expressed its desire to expand its diplomatic reach into Southeast Asia as an effort to interrupt its isolation, with Vietnam thought-about a particular companion. Pyongyang sees Vietnam as a “potential mannequin” if it steadily considers financial reform whereas sustaining political management of the Get together. Vietnam, with its profitable “Doi Moi” course of since 1986, is a beautiful mannequin for North Korean leaders. Many observers consider that Hanoi can trade extra expertise in its growth path with Pyongyang in return for a higher voice in points associated to the Korean Peninsula to broaden its worldwide place by way of the picture of a “mediator,” much like the way in which Vietnam was chosen by the US because the venue for the 2019 US-North Korea Summit.
Message to America: Independence and autonomy
From the US perspective, Vietnam’s sending of a high-ranking chief to go to North Korea amid the continued US-North Korea tensions could be seen as a testomony to Hanoi’s reliable neutrality. Vietnam doesn’t take part within the West’s “isolate Pyongyang” campaigns but additionally doesn’t violate any UN nuclear resolutions. This strategy helps Vietnam preserve its independence whereas strengthening the picture of a rustic that may dialogue with all sides with out breaking worldwide guidelines. For Washington, this reveals that Hanoi is a reliable companion, impartial in coverage however not disrupting the regional order, and contributing to sustaining strategic stability in Southeast Asia.
By means of the go to, Vietnam despatched a refined however sturdy message that its relationship with the US is a strategic pillar, however Hanoi doesn’t let Washington form its total diplomatic area. Within the context of a quickly shifting geopolitical atmosphere in the direction of polarization, sustaining a ample distance between main powers is a core issue for Vietnam to protect its autonomy and adaptability in overseas coverage. It is a typical manifestation of the artwork of soppy balancing that Vietnam has constantly pursued over three many years of worldwide integration.
Message to China: No matter ideology
China is presently the biggest neighboring companion and in addition the main financial companion for each Vietnam and North Korea. As a socialist nation with a separate growth mannequin, Vietnam prioritizes strengthening relations with international locations with the identical regime however doesn’t enable itself to be sure by the Chinese language affect community. Vietnam is actively utilizing the Get together channel to keep up and develop pleasant relations with North Korea and China, thereby affirming its impartial function within the political area of socialist international locations.
The go to can be understood as a strategic balancing sign despatched to Beijing. Within the context of China’s rising stress within the East Sea, Vietnam is exhibiting that its diplomatic area isn’t restricted to Southeast Asia however utterly expands its interactions to the Northeast Asia area, exhibiting that Vietnam is succesful and keen to construct a voice even in locations the place China is making an attempt to indicate off its energy.
The message despatched to Beijing thus has two layers of that means: on the floor stage, it’s an expression of friendship and dialogue within the spirit of sharing socialist ideology; however on a deeper stage, it’s a definitive affirmation that Vietnam is an impartial companion, not a “political satellite tv for pc” in China’s orbit. It’s this versatile but steadfast stance that helps Hanoi preserve a fragile however efficient stability between cooperation and competitors, between ideological consensus and the safety of nationwide pursuits.
Message to Russia: Friendship, not confrontation
The truth is, Common Secretary To Lam’s go to to Pyongyang, which passed off shortly after President Vladimir Putin’s go to in June, has attracted particular consideration from worldwide analysts, particularly within the context of Moscow increasing its strategic relations with North Korea. Nevertheless, based on scholar Andrei Lankov of Kookmin College, Vietnam is sustaining the mandatory strategic distance in order to not be categorised into any political-military alliance. Vietnam-North Korea cooperation is principally primarily based on the muse of conventional friendship and social gathering exchanges, not linked to Moscow’s strategic orbit.
The core message that Hanoi desires to convey to Moscow is secure cooperation primarily based on mutual respect, no alliance, and no confrontation. Vietnam is able to preserve a sensible, pleasant, and cooperative relationship with Russia however doesn’t settle for any type of binding “safety alliance.” The truth that Vietnam has not voiced help for or opposition to the Russia-North Korea treaty is a transparent demonstration of the coverage of independence, autonomy, and never selecting sides that Hanoi has constantly maintained for the reason that Chilly Conflict.
As well as, Vietnam has additionally proactively despatched one other constructive message that it is able to play the function of a bridge between Russia and the Southeast Asian area. By means of joint energy projects in the East Sea carried out throughout the framework of worldwide commerce and boards resembling EAS or ARF, Hanoi desires to affirm that financial cooperation shouldn’t be politicized. For Russia, that is an invite to cooperate primarily based on the rules of mutual respect and avoiding confrontation, thereby sustaining Vietnam’s place as a dependable, secure, and mediating companion within the Southeast Asian regional safety construction.
Message to South Korea and Japan: Vietnam is a secure companion.
South Korea and Japan are presently the 2 pillars in Vietnam’s financial partnership community. Seoul is the largest foreign direct investor with greater than 9,500 legitimate tasks and whole registered capital exceeding 85 billion USD, whereas Tokyo is the leading source of bilateral ODA, making essential contributions to Vietnam’s infrastructure and power transition tasks. In distinction, each international locations preserve a tricky stance on Pyongyang and are key hyperlinks within the US-Japan-Korea trilateral safety alliance in Northeast Asia.
In that context, Vietnam’s go to to North Korea has extra of a reassuring that means for these two main companions, as a result of Hanoi desires to reveal that strengthening pleasant relations with Pyongyang doesn’t hurt the pursuits or cooperative orientation with Seoul and Tokyo, however quite the opposite, can open an oblique communication channel to assist cut back tensions within the area.
For South Korea, Vietnam is sending a transparent message that Hanoi understands and shares the objective of long-term peace and stability on the Korean Peninsula and is able to play the function of an oblique channel when situations for dialogue between the 2 Koreas are restored. Vietnam’s proactive engagement with Pyongyang isn’t a problem to Seoul however a take a look at of Hanoi’s capacity to stability within the advanced diplomatic atmosphere of Northeast Asia. With the expertise of internet hosting the 2019 US-North Korea Summit, Vietnam possesses a particular benefit by way of reliability and the flexibility to keep up political stability, which each Seoul and Washington recognize.
As for Japan, Vietnam’s go to to Pyongyang reinforces Hanoi’s picture as an impartial, secure, and non-ideological diplomatic companion—an element that Tokyo can confidently promote strategic cooperation with. Within the eyes of Japanese elites, Vietnam isn’t solely a bridge between ASEAN and Northeast Asia but additionally a springboard for Tokyo to broaden its growth and infrastructure affect by way of initiatives connecting the Mekong sub-region and Northeast Asia. With the flexibility to dialogue with Pyongyang, Vietnam can play a supporting function in Japan’s humanitarian diplomatic efforts, particularly associated to the problem of kidnapped residents and post-conflict growth cooperation if the Korean Peninsula strikes in the direction of reconciliation sooner or later.
On the international stage, this go to reveals that Vietnam is consolidating a diplomatic mannequin that’s completely different from nearly all of ASEAN international locations, a mannequin that some students name “pragmatic hedging,” demonstrated by the flexibility to keep up good relations with all events (even in instances of mutual hostility resembling Russia and Ukraine) whereas not being depending on any nation.
Vietnam’s message to the worldwide neighborhood is evident: in a polarized world, Hanoi chooses the function of a bridge, not an enviornment. The proactive go to to Pyongyang proves that Vietnam can use social gathering diplomacy as a device to construct belief whereas concurrently selling state diplomacy with capitalist powers. This displays the distinctive overseas coverage philosophy of “independence, self-reliance, peace, cooperation, and growth,” which has been constantly affirmed by way of the paperwork of the thirteenth Nationwide Congress of the Communist Get together of Vietnam and will definitely be affirmed much more strongly within the upcoming 14th Nationwide Congress happening in early 2026. In conclusion, Common Secretary To Lam’s go to to North Korea carries many layers of strategic messages. In an more and more divided world, the flexibility to keep up balanced multilateral relations between main powers is the “most useful asset” in Vietnam’s overseas coverage, serving to Vietnam not solely shield its nationwide pursuits but additionally form its picture as a stabilizing agent in a altering world order.
