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Vietnam’s Minister of Information and Communications, Nguyen Manh Hung, visited the Republic of Korea (RoK) to strengthen bilateral cooperation in digital transformation and artificial intelligence. The visit underscored Vietnam’s commitment to advancing its digital economy by leveraging international collaboration in these critical areas.
During the visit, Minister Hung met with RoK’s Minister of Science and ICT, Lee Jong-ho, to discuss strategies for enhancing digital innovation and fostering growth in ICT sectors. The two ministers stressed the importance of international cooperation in AI research and development, as well as the need for high-quality human resources training in semiconductor technology. They also explored collaborative opportunities to drive innovation and technological advancement.
Hung also engaged with representatives from the RoK’s Digital Platform Government and various ICT agencies, including the National Information Society Agency, the Korea Internet & Security Agency and the National IT Industry Promotion Agency. These discussions provided valuable insights into RoK’s ICT policy and strategic frameworks.
While in Seoul, Hung visited the Seoul Cyber University (SCU) and attended the inauguration of a coordination training office set up between Vietnam’s Posts and Telecommunications Institute of Technology and SCU. He praised SCU’s advanced digital university model as a benchmark for Vietnamese institutions.
The visit included the organisation of the Vietnam-RoK Digital Forum, facilitated by the Ministry of Information and Communications and RoK’s Ministry of Science and ICT. The forum attracted 20 Vietnamese technology firms and 150 representatives from RoK’s associations and enterprises, offering a platform for trade promotion, partnership opportunities, and policy exchange. This forum highlighted the growing collaboration and shared goals of both nations in digital transformation.
Hung also met with Vietnamese students studying ICT in Korea and visited the FPT representative office in the RoK, further reinforcing the ties between the two nations’ ICT communities.
Vietnam and South Korean businesses see significant potential in IT and semiconductors for future economic collaboration, according to a recent survey by the Korea Chamber of Commerce and Industry (KCCI). Conducted during the RoK-Vietnam Business Forum, the survey highlighted that entrepreneurs from both nations view these sectors as the most promising for bilateral economic growth.
Released to business leaders, the survey reveals that 22.3% of Korean firms consider green energy a key area of interest, while 20.4% of Vietnamese respondents favour finance and fintech. In terms of current economic cooperation value, 45.5% of Korean and 42.6% of Vietnamese businesses identified the electrical and electronics sector as paramount.
Additional notable sectors include distribution-logistics, apparel-textiles, and automotive-steel-metals, as ranked by Korean firms, while Vietnamese companies focused on machinery and equipment and apparel-textiles.
The survey also found that 42.3% of Korean and 29.1% of Vietnamese companies view investment expansion, trade, and supply chain stability as major benefits of economic cooperation. For Vietnamese firms, technology development emerged as a significant advantage.
Korean companies are keen to invest in Vietnam to cut costs and stabilise supply chains, while Vietnamese firms aim to enhance their industrial structure through technological advancements and new business opportunities. The survey also noted that Korean businesses are seeking expanded investment incentives and less restrictive regulations from the Vietnamese government. Conversely, Vietnamese enterprises hope for more opportunities to find partners and additional investment incentives from the Korean government.
KCCI Vice Chairman Park Il-joon stated that future surveys will further detail these findings, and plans are underway to connect with Vietnamese agencies to develop specific projects to enhance economic ties between the two countries.
