South Korea and Vietnam held a joint economic committee meeting on Tuesday to discuss cooperation in various areas and tackle any stumbling blocks that could hamper further development.

The meeting, the 16th of its kind, was held in Seoul between Deputy Foreign Minister for Economic Affairs Yun Kang-hyeon and his Vietnamese counterpart Nguyen The Phuong. 

"South Korea-Vietnam relations have developed into something special," Yun said at the start of the meeting. "The South Korean people's commitment to growth together with Vietnam remains unchanged."

Yun said that the meeting is "meaningful" in that it provides a chance for the two to discuss ways to tackle any pending economic issues and also exchange views on how to further advance their mutual relations.

Phuong said through an interpreter that South Korea has emerged as the largest investor in Vietnam and has maintained in-depth cooperation in diverse areas, including politics, diplomacy, finance and science and technology.

He noted that there are still some problems that need to be addressed for better and more active exchanges, while calling for more cooperation in a way that will help the growth of the two countries not to lag behind global economic expansion. (Yonhap)