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When North Korean leader Kim Jong-un visits Vietnam at the end of this month for his second summit with US President Donald Trump, what will he choose to see while he’s there? Taking the Vietnam model of economic development and the two visits to Vietnam by Kim’s grandfather Kim Il-song into consideration, we can speculate about the sites that Kim Jong-un is likely to visit during his stay.

First there are the key sites of Doi Moi, meaning “renovation,” which represents Vietnam’s economic development model. Vietnam has achieved economic growth since it implemented the Doi Moi policy of reform and opening in 1986. Its growth rate has continued to climb, reaching 7.08% in 2018.

When asked on Feb. 18 about economic sites that Kim might visit, a South Korean government official who is knowledgeable about the situation on the ground in Vietnam said, “This is all speculation, of course, but some sites worth considering are Bac Ninh Province, where Samsung Electronics’ mobile phone plant is located; Hai Phong, with its domestic automobile plant; and Ha Long Bay, with its huge resorts.”

Sites Kim Jong-un may visit

Bac Ninh Province and Hai Phong are the recipients of massive investment by South Korea and other foreign countries. Since North Korea is spurring efforts to develop economic zones to attract foreign capital, these sites could serve as a role model for the North.

Bac Ninh Province is one of the best-known success stories of Doi Moi. The province had a growth rate of 19% in 2017, the highest among Vietnam’s 58 provinces, and its per capita GDP of US$6,035 was 2.5 times that of the country’s average GDP of US$2,385. Another advantage is that the province is just an hour (45km) from Hanoi, where the summit will be held.

Bac Ninh is also the Vietnamese province that has received the most investment from South Korea. As of May 2018, South Korea’s accumulated investment there amounted to US$9.5 billion, representing 16% of the money invested in all of Vietnam. The best-known business site in Bac Ninh is Samsung’s mobile phone factory.

Another leading contender is Hai Phong, Vietnam’s third-largest city. This port city is a logistics hub for the northern part of the country, and South Korean companies with operations there include LG Electronics and LG Display. The city also hosts a production site run by VinFast, Vietnam’s first automaker. “That factory is receiving strong support from the Vietnamese government, which wants to produce domestic automobiles,” said a diplomatic source. North Korean Foreign Minister Ri Yong-ho paid a visit to Hai Phong at the end of last year.

There’s also Ha Long Bay, a UNESCO World Heritage Site and a popular tourist destination. The exquisite beauty of some 2,000 islands floating in the emerald waters of the bay attract more than 10,000 people on average every day, 80% of whom are foreigners. Investors have congregated to this city, with real estate developers building resorts along the coast.

Ha Long Bay could offer a useful model for Kim, who has taken great interest in tourism projects, including making several visits to the construction underway at the Wonsan-Kalma Coastal Tourist Area, which is one of North Korea’s leading tourist zones. Ha Long Bay was also on the itinerary of Kim’s grandfather Kim Il-sung during his second visit to Vietnam in 1964.

Kim Jong-un might also stop by other sites that Kim Il-sung visited on that 1964 trip. Along with his visit to Ha Long Bay, Kim Il-sung met with then Vietnamese President Ho Chi Minh at the Presidential Palace and toured the Vietnam Military History Museum and the site of a “friendship cooperative.”

Kim might further consider sites that are symbolic of North Korea and Vietnam’s tradition of friendly relations. During the Vietnam War, North Korea provided North Vietnam with military support. In order to honor North Korean soldiers who were killed in action in Vietnam, the Vietnamese government built a commemorative park in Bac Giang Province, northeast of Hanoi, and erected a memorial for 14 North Korean soldiers.

By Noh Ji-won, staff reporter

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