Vietnam's Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism and its partners announced a cooperation programme, Vietnam-Experience More, for 2027-2031 on November 11.
Deputy minister Nguyen Huy Dung of the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism (Photo: H.P).
The initiative aims to attract major international cultural, artistic, sporting and entertainment events to Vietnam, linking them with national promotion, tourism development and the growth of the cultural industries.
The 41st Golden Disc Awards will be the programme's inaugural event.
It will mark the first time the long-running South Korean music awards ceremony has been held in Vietnam, featuring performances by leading Korean artists and red-carpet activities. The event will be broadcast live in South Korea and several other Asian countries, reaching fans worldwide.
According to the organisers, the ceremony will take place at the Vietnam Exhibition Centre (VEC) in Hanoi, with an expected audience of 70,000 across two nights. Of the tickets available, 35,000 will be distributed through international markets. Organisers hope to attract at least 35,000 international visitors to Vietnam for the occasion.
At a press conference, Nguyen Huy Dung, deputy minister of Culture, Sports and Tourism, said Vietnam was committed to developing its cultural industries, sports economy and tourism economy as interconnected parts of a broader ecosystem.
"We warmly welcome international friends to Vietnam and are committed to creating the most favourable mechanisms, policies and environment for cooperation. At the same time, Vietnam is working to bring its cultural values, sports, heritage and tourism attractions to the world," he said.
The ministry said the awards aimed not only to attract about 70,000 spectators in person but also to break the previous editions' record for global online viewership.
Kim Yuseok, chief executive of HLL JoongAng, which manages the Golden Disc Awards' intellectual property rights, said the awards were established in 1986 to recognise popular music releases of the year.
He described Vietnam as one of the countries with particularly enthusiastic K-pop audiences, adding that South Korean music, television and cuisine had become increasingly familiar parts of everyday life in Vietnam, helping bring the two cultures closer.
Organisers hope the event will help establish Hanoi as a new destination for Asian music festivals while creating opportunities for closer cooperation between the South Korean and Vietnamese entertainment industries.