President Moon Jae-in, who is staying in Vietnam on a three-day state visit, has expressed regret over an “unfortunate” phase of the shared history between South Korea and Vietnam. 

Moon made the remark during his summit meeting with Vietnamese President Tran Dai Quang in Hanoi on Friday morning. 

Moon said that as the two countries are developing an “exemplary” cooperative relationship, he wanted to express regret over the unfortunate shared history that lingers in the hearts of South Koreans, adding that he hopes the two countries will work together to enhance future-oriented cooperation. 

The president was not explicit, but was apparently referring to South Korea’s participation in the Vietnam War and the alleged killings of Vietnamese civilians by South Korean troops.

It is the first time Moon has expressed regret over South Korea’s past deeds vis-à-vis Vietnam. In a congratulatory video message sent to the Ho Chi Minh-Gyeongju World Culture Expo 2017 held in Vietnam in November, he said that South Korea “has a debt of heart to Vietnam.” 

In response, Quang highly assessed the South Korean government’s sincerity with regards to Vietnam War history. The Vietnamese president said he hoped that the South Korean government will make further efforts to heal the past wounds between the two countries, and strengthen their bilateral friendship and cooperation.