Hanoi (VNA) - Deputy Prime Minister Ho Duc Phoc hosted a reception for Kim Sung-tae, Chairman and CEO of the Industrial Bank of Korea (IBK) in Hanoi on September 23. Deputy PM Phoc spotlighted positive outcomes of bilateral relations, emphasising that Vietnam and the Republic of Korea (RoK) have become leading partners across all fields, with economy, investment, and trade serving as key pillars of their ties. He noted that in Vietnam, more than 98% of the over 940,000 operating businesses are SMEs. The two sides discussed credit support for SMEs, building linkages between SMEs and large or global corporations, and assisting SMEs in investing in new technology sectors. As of June, the bank operates 625 branches in the RoK and 60 abroad, including two in Vietnam./.