The Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism held a ceremony to present the appointment decision to Can on December 16.
Ly Xuong Can (R) will continue to serve as Vietnamese Tourism Ambassador to the Republic of Korea (RoK) for the 2021-24 tenure. (Photo: VNA)
Addressing the event, Deputy Minister of Culture, Sports and Tourism Doan Van Viet said Vietnam considers the RoK one of key source markets of tourism.
Once the countries resume air services with higher frequency in the coming time, Vietnam will exert efforts to attract holidaymakers from the RoK, he added.
He called on Can and his associates to seek resources to develop activities of the Vietnam National Administration of Tourism (VNAT)’s representative office in the RoK and regularly update a website on Vietnam’s tourism in Korean language, among others.
For his part, Can said that Vietnam and the RoK will celebrate the 30th founding anniversary of diplomatic ties next year and joint efforts are required to devise travel plans to attract visitors.
In the 2017-20 term, he helped set up a representative office of the VNAT in the RoK and built a website in Korean language promoting Vietnam’s tourism.
The ambassador also worked to connect Vietnamese and RoK localities to organise activities introducing Vietnam’s images during major festivals in the RoK.
Ly Xuong Can, whose Korean name is Lee Chang Kun, was born in 1958 in Seoul. He is the 31st generation descendant of King Ly Thai To and the 26th generation descendant of Prince Ly Long Tuong, who immigrated to the RoK in the 13th century.
In 1992, he represented the Ly Hoa Son clan in the RoK in returning to Vietnam and visiting his hometown in Dinh Bang ward, Tu Son town, the northern province of Bac Ninh. In 2009, he and his family received Vietnamese citizenship. He has been a member of the Vietnam Fatherland Front (VFF) Central Committee since September 2014./.