Four directions of Vietnam – Korea cooperation in science and technology

This message was said by Mr. Bae Kyunghoon, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Science and Information Technology of Korea, at the Vietnam – Korea Science, Technology and Innovation Forum, on the morning of April 24.

Four main directions outlined by the Korean Deputy Prime Minister include: cooperation linked to the needs of businesses and researchers; promote training and exchange of technological human resources; transforming technology into industrial applications; and expand the cooperation network, with the Vietnam – Korea Institute of Science and Technology (VKIST) playing the role of connection center.

According to Mr. Bae Kyunghoon, the two countries “are not only friends but also very special neighboring partners.” Therefore, bilateral cooperation gradually expands into strategic fields of the future such as AI, semiconductors and energy. The two sides will promote cooperation in a mutually complementary direction, combining the strengths of each country to create new growth engines in the future.

At the research institute level, Mr. Oh Sangrok, Chairman of KIST, emphasized the specialness of the current cooperation model. “In the world there are only two institutes named KIST,” he said, one in Korea and one in Vietnam, showing the level of connection in the field of science and technology between the two countries.

According to him, cooperation has moved to the stage of “accompanying development”, in which science and technology are the foundation for expanding into the economy. From this reality, the Korean representative proposed strategic technology development based on the complementary strengths of the two sides, Korea’s technological capacity and Vietnam’s industrial potential.

According to Minister of Science and Technology Vu Hai Quan, science, technology and innovation have been identified by senior leaders of the two countries as one of the most important pillars of cooperation. The Ministry of Science and Technology of Vietnam and the Ministry of Science and Information Technology of Korea agreed to promote in-depth cooperation, focusing on substantive efficiency, aiming to create specific products.

Cooperation between the two research institutes KIST of Korea and VKIST of Vietnam will also be promoted. Vietnam envisions VKIST as a pilot place to deploy new, groundbreaking mechanisms and policies in science, technology and innovation. Meanwhile, Korea wants to turn VKIST into a symbol of cooperation in science and technology between the two countries.

Korea has identified 11 priority strategic technologies, while Vietnam is also building a similar list. “Through review, the two sides found that there are many similarities,” Minister Quan said, believing that sharing experiences is necessary.

Human resources are the third pillar. The two sides aim to train a team of highly qualified experts and scientists, capable of mastering technology and developing new fields.

Speaking at the event, Mr. Bui The Duy, Director of Hanoi National University, said that cooperation between Vietnam and Korea does not stop at research institutes, but has expanded to universities and businesses. Many technology transfer projects have been implemented, while Korean businesses have also ordered research from Vietnam.

“These cooperation not only promote research but also contribute to the training of high-quality human resources,” Mr. Duy said, expecting multilateral cooperation models between institutes, schools and businesses of the two countries to continue to develop, to create strategic technology products, taking advantage of the complementary strengths of each side.

Mr. Tran Hong Thai, President of the Vietnam Academy of Science and Technology, hopes that cooperative activities are linked to Vietnam’s practical needs, especially in areas that need technological solutions. According to him, programs also need to aim at creating specific products that can be commercialized, instead of stopping at research.

Concluding the forum, the Korean Deputy Prime Minister said that Vietnam is setting clear goals to improve competitiveness in science and technology. Mr. Bae Kyunghoon expects that, through cooperation in science, technology and innovation, Vietnam and Korea will together create new products, contributing to growth and sustainable development.

At the forum, the two Ministers also witnessed the awarding ceremony of many agreements and memorandums of cooperation between Vietnamese and Korean research institutes, universities and businesses.

The forum was held within the framework of the state visit to Vietnam by Korean President Lee Jae Myung and his wife from April 21-24. This is the first time President Lee Jae Myung comes to Vietnam after he took office in June 2025. The visit was made after Vietnam had just consolidated its senior leadership following the 14th Party Congress.