The prime ministers of South Korea and Vietnam held phone talks on Thursday to discuss bilateral cooperation and COVID-19. 

South Korean Prime Minister Kim Boo-kyum spoke with Vietnam's new Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh and asked for active support for the safety of South Koreans in Vietnam and swift COVID-19 vaccinations. 

According to Kim's office, the prime minister said the two nations will advance their economic recoveries together in the post-pandemic era by raising their bilateral trade volume to 100 billion dollars. 

Kim also proposed the two sides enhance coordination on the COVID-19 response. 

The Vietnamese prime minister thanked South Korea for providing quarantine and medical supplies and sharing its experiences and know-how in the fight against the pandemic. 

He also pledged active efforts to ensure that the South Korean people and companies in Vietnam will not have difficulties due to the pandemic.

The phone call comes after Vietnam recently expressed regret over cremating a South Korean man who died of COVID-19 in Ho Chi Minh without informing his family or the Korean consulate.