(VOVWORLD) - On April 30, 1975, the news of Vietnam's complete liberation of the South and national reunification was spread to the world through the Voice of Vietnam’s Overseas Service. Fifty years later, it’s once again broadcasters of the Overseas Service (now VOVWORLD) are reporting to the world Vietnam’s celebration of the historic anniversary and delivering the message "Vietnam is one, the Vietnamese people are one ".
 VOV5’s former English-language presenter Trinh Huu Tuan. (Photo: VOV5/Mai Phuong)
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“Late on the morning of April 30, Ms. Trinh Thi Ngo and I made our way from Quan Su to Ba Trieu Street to present the 5 p.m. English-language broadcast. While we were in the middle of delivering the daily news, activity outside the studio abruptly stopped: news had just come in that Saigon had been liberated. Staff members dropped what they were doing, ran outside, embracing one another amid tears, laughter, and overwhelming joy. Once the editorial board confirmed the news, we returned to the studio to present the afternoon program. Ms. Ngo opened the bulletin. That broadcast carried a unique emotional weight, reading the news that day felt profoundly different.”
Mr. Trinh Huu Tuan, known as Trinh Lu, a former English-language presenter with the Overseas Service, now VOVWORLD, remembers being one of the two announcers who delivered the victory news in English on April 30, 1975. At the historic moment, many reporters and staff members gathered at the Overseas Service building at 45 Ba Trieu Street, waiting for the victory news from the front lines.
In the editorial rooms, the sound of typewriters clacking and telephones ringing never stopped. Broadcasters moved quickly between the recording and editorial rooms to update the programs.
Although the work was tense and demanding, everyone was in high spirits, knowing they were contributing, in their own small way, to a world-shaking event: Vietnam had been reunified from North to South.
When the victory news came in, the editors and broadcasters erupted in joyful cheers. Foreign editors were moved, shaking hands and embracing their Vietnamese colleagues in celebration.
Halfway across the globe in Cuba, the April 30 victory was announced on Radio Havana by Joan Gandini, an Italian national, and Robert David Cohen, an American.
 All 13 language sections at VOVWORLD are operating at full capacity. (Photo: VOV5/Le Chi)
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50 years later, April 30 is being marked with a variety of commemorative activities, including seminars, interviews with witnesses, and culture and art performances. The centerpiece of the celebration will be a grand parade, an event proudly referred to by Vietnamese as a “national concert.”
100 VOVWORLD reporters and editors have been following a detailed plan set in motion months ago to produce a comprehensive lineup of programs, news stories, and feature reports.
 Dang Mai Phuong (standing), deputy head of the English Service in the studio with a co-worker. (Photo: VOV5/Le Chi)
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In the English Service, translators have been working at full speed to handle the incoming news updates. Domestic and foreign editors have been reviewing everything for accuracy.
In the studios, the atmosphere is focused and fast-paced as teams work to ensure that all 13 language sections broadcast and publish their programs on schedule to ensure that coverage of the nation’s landmark celebration is comprehensive, accurate, and compelling.
“We have been working hard to ensure that all content is delivered on multiple platforms in a timely manner. The production of our special April 30 program follows a rolling format: as soon as a news story or article is available, it is translated, edited, recorded, and then presented on air. The team ensures that all stories are not only timely but also accurate, with no room for error, whether broadcast on air or published online,” said Dang Mai Phuong, deputy head of the English Service.
VOVWORLD reporters have been deployed across the country to capture the spirit of the national celebration. A series of high-quality reports have been produced, including an interview with veteran journalist Anh Trang, a former reporter with the Vietnamese program, who recalled the moment she received and read the news of Duong Van Minh’s surrender. Other highlights include a seminar with three generations of architect Nguyen Huu Thai’s family, who hosted the broadcast of Duong Van Minh’s surrender announcement on April 30, 1975, and a forum with overseas Vietnamese who returned to Vietnam to join the victory celebrations.
In addition to the daily news and reports, a special program has been prepared for the April 30 broadcast, focused on the dream of national reunification and emphasizing the message of unity and solidarity in national construction and defense.
 Nguyen Hong Van, head of VOVWORLD’s Editorial Secretariat (Photo: VOV5/Le Chi)
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Nguyen Hong Van, head of the Editorial Secretariat, said the special broadcast highlights the message of Party General Secretary To Lam: "Vietnam is one, and the Vietnamese people are one."
“Our special radio broadcast for April 30, titled ‘The Road to Peace’, focuses on the Vietnamese people's commitment to peace, and reinforces a message of national unity: ‘Vietnam is one, and the Vietnamese people are one’. The program highlights Vietnam’s collective efforts in the pursuit of peace. To provide a balanced perspective, we also include reports featuring foreign viewpoints on Vietnam’s progress in peace and development since the April 30 victory. Throughout the day, we will work in shifts, starting early in the morning, to ensure that our radio broadcasts and website will be continuously updated with the latest coverage of the grand parade,” said Van.
 All news and reports are being promptly updated and published on the website: vovworld.vn. (Photo: VOV5/Le Chi)
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Nguyen Le Chi, editor of the Digital Content and Vietnamese Section, said all news and reports are being promptly updated and published on the website, vovworld.vn, to ensure timely and comprehensive coverage across digital platforms.
“The digital content team is on standby, prepared to deliver comprehensive coverage of the 50th anniversary of the South’s liberation and national reunification across all digital platforms. On the morning of April 30, we’ll feature a live broadcast of the grand parade, with images and video clips continuously uploaded in real time to reflect the event’s progression. This will ensure that all VOVWORLD programs publish up-to-the-minute, high-quality content for international audiences, showcasing the most striking and timely visuals of Vietnam’s reunification celebrations. Since March, the team has produced weekly photo reports and video features highlighting various aspects of the historic occasion,” said Chi.
Fifty years ago, broadcasters from the Overseas Service were the first to deliver news of Vietnam’s victory to the world. Five decades later, their successors at VOVWORLD continue with the same passion, sharing the spirit of national reunification and reaffirming the message “Vietnam is one, and the Vietnamese people are one”. Standing united, the nation moves confidently into a new era, aspiring to become a peaceful, globally integrated, and prosperous Vietnam.