At the Korea-Vietnam business forum held on the occasion of President Lee Jae-myung's state visit to Vietnam, major corporations from both countries gathered to discuss ways to expand economic cooperation. They agreed to broaden cooperation from the existing manufacturing focus to artificial intelligence (AI), energy, and advanced technology.
The Korea Chamber of Commerce and Industry held the Korea-Vietnam Business Forum on the 23rd (local time) at the JW Marriott Hotel in Hanoi, Vietnam. With President Lee Jae-myung and Vietnam Prime Minister Le Minh Hung in attendance, about 500 key figures from the political and business circles of both countries were present.
From Korea, attendees included KORCHAM Chairman Chey Tae-won; Samsung Electronics Chairman Lee Jae-yong; LG Chairman Koo Kwang-mo; Lotte Group Chairman Shin Dong-bin; POSCO Holdings Chairman Chang In-hwa; HD Hyundai Chairman Chung Ki-sun; GS Chairman Huh Tae-soo; Doosan Enerbility Chairman Park Gee-won; Hyosung Chairman Cho Hyun-joon; Daewoo Engineering & Construction Chairman Jung Won-ju; Hyundai Motor President Sung Kim; and Naver CEO Choi Soo-yeon.
Also present were leaders of economic organizations, including Korea International Trade Association Chairman Yoon Jin-sik, Korea Federation of Small and Medium Enterprises Chairman Kim Ki-moon, Korea Enterprises Federation Chairman Sohn Kyung-shik (CJ chairman), and Federation of Middle Market Enterprises of Korea (FOMEK) Chairman Choi Jin-sik.
From Vietnam, government officials in attendance included Minister of Finance Ngo Van Tuan, Minister of Industry and Trade Le Minh Hung, and Minister of Science and Technology Vu Hai Quan. Heads of key state-owned and private corporations also gathered, including PVN Chairman Le Ngoc Son, EVN Chairman Dang Hoang An, and Vietnam Airlines Chairman Dang Ngoc Hoa.
In his congratulatory remarks, Chey Tae-won said, "Korean corporations call Vietnam a land of opportunity, but I want to say Vietnam is no longer a land of opportunity; it is our partner with whom we will build the future together," adding, "What remains now is to meet more often and cooperate more boldly."
The forum, under the theme of "advancing industry, investment, and science and technology partnerships," addressed concrete action tasks in four key areas: ▲ nurturing talent (Nurturing Talent) ▲ energy (Energy) ▲ AI transformation (AIX) ▲ science and technology (Tech).
Regarding nurturing talent, Na Ki-hong, head of Samsung Vietnam's Strategic Cooperation Office, introduced cases of manufacturing innovation consulting and smart factory support and announced plans to expand "youth future technology education" to cultivate next-generation tech talent. Practical cooperation measures were also discussed in depth in AI transformation and energy infrastructure. SK Innovation CEO Choo Hyeong-wook emphasized the importance of power infrastructure essential to building an AI ecosystem and shared the roadmap for ongoing bilateral cooperation projects, including the Quang Ninh LNG power project.
The forum delivered tangible outcomes beyond simple discussion. About 70 memorandums of understanding (MOUs) and contracts were signed in areas including ▲ AI data centers and digital infrastructure ▲ energy such as nuclear power and power grid construction ▲ establishment of production bases for secondary batteries and advanced materials ▲ Smart City and infrastructure development ▲ finance and investment.
SK Innovation and SK Telecom each signed an MOU with the Vietnam National Innovation Center (NIC) on "AI data center and ecosystem development" and with Nghe An Province on "AI infrastructure construction," expanding cooperation on local future infrastructure. Daewoo Engineering & Construction also signed an MOU with Saigontel in Vietnam to jointly develop and participate in construction of data center projects. POSCO FUTURE M completed approval procedures with Thai Nguyen Province in Vietnam to build a plant for artificial graphite anode materials, a core material for secondary batteries, and began in earnest to establish a secondary battery materials supply chain.
In energy, Doosan Enerbility signed memorandums of understanding with Vietnamese corporations PTSC and PETROCONs for cooperation on new nuclear power projects in Vietnam. Taihan Cable & Solution also signed an "MOU on power grid advancement and extra-high-voltage cable business cooperation" with Vietnam's Newtecon, moving in earnest to expand technical partnerships to strengthen local energy infrastructure.
Yoon Chul-min, head of the international trade division at the Korea Chamber of Commerce and Industry, said, "Through this visit, we confirmed concrete possibilities for cooperation between corporations in both countries," adding, "We will continue to provide close support so that these efforts can lead to practical results, focusing on strategic fields such as AI, energy, and infrastructure."