The 280-page book entitled "Notes on Vietnam" portrays the country as a 'land of opportunities' in the 21st century, a far cry from the impoverished Vietnam during the war time.

In addition to attributing WTO accession, advances in the information technology sector and the stock market, the author, Kim Sun Han, attributed Vietnam's success to the country's rich natural resources and young labour forces with about 65 percent of population under 31 years old.

But the picture is not altogether rosy. Kim mentions the challenges Vietnam is facing, emphasising the widening gap between rich and poor, corruption and estate speculation.

Kim Sun Han, 46, was Yonhap's Hanoi-based correspondent in the 2003-06 period.