Nguyễn Xuân Phúc

About

Former politician who served as President of Vietnam from 2021 to 2023, when he resigned from all governmental posts amid the infamous Việt Á scandal. He had previously overseen record economic growth and received widespread acclaim for his management of the COVID-19 pandemic as Prime Minister of Vietnam from 2016 to 2021. He also served as a member of the National Assembly in its 11th-14th terms. 

Before Fame

He graduated from the Hanoi National Economics University in 1978 before being accepted to join the Communist Party of Vietnam in 1982. He previously served on the Quảng Nam-Đà Nẵng Economic Board and as deputy and later Chief of Office of the Quảng Nam - Đà Nẵng People's Committee. He later earned degrees in administrative management from the Vietnam National Administrative Academy and economic management from the National University of Singapore. 

Trivia

During his tenure as Prime Minister of the Socialist Republic of Vietnam, he received substantial praise for his management of the COVID-19 pandemic. He later resigned from his role as President of Vietnam and politics altogether for wrongdoings and violations by over 500 employees involved in the COVID-19-related Việt Á scandal; however, he denied any allegations that he had been directly associated with the affair. His statement was said to have also been cleared by the Central Inspection Commission. 

Family Life

He and his wife Trần Thị Nguyệt Thu are the parents of 2 children - a son named Nguyễn Xuân Hiếu and a daughter named Nguyễn Thị Xuân Trang. His son-in-law, Vũ Chí Hùng, served as the Vice Director General of the General Department of Taxation. His brother, Nguyễn Quốc Dũng, formerly served as Procurator General of the People's Procuracy of Da Nang. He has a sister named Nguyễn Thị Thuyền. He also had a sister who was killed by American soldiers during the Vietnam War.

Associated With

In April 2016, he succeeded Nguyen Tan Dung as the 7th Prime Minister of Vietnam. While serving as Prime Minister, he met with other world leaders including U.S. President Donald Trump. During his subsequent presidency, he met with Russian President Vladimir Putin at the Kremlin to discuss management of the COVID-19 pandemic.