KT and Viettel Sign Partnership 2.0 to Develop Vietnam's AI Strategy

Follow-Up to May’s Initial Partnership
Concrete Steps Toward Vietnam’s National AI Strategy
Collaboration on AI Model Development, Ecosystem Building, and Southeast Asia Market Expansion

KT has joined forces with Viettel Group of Vietnam to drive the spread of artificial intelligence (AI) transformation (AX) across the Southeast Asian market.

KT announced on August 12 that it has signed Strategic Partnership 2.0 with Viettel Group, a state-owned IT company in Vietnam. Through this agreement, the two companies will cooperate on establishing a national AI strategy for Vietnam and promoting the adoption of AX across various industries.

KT announced on the 12th that it has signed Strategic Partnership 2.0 with Viettel Group, a state-owned IT company in Vietnam. Youngseop Kim, CEO of KT (right), and Duc Thang Dao, Chairman and CEO of Viettel Group, are taking a commemorative photo after signing the partnership at the KT Gwanghwamun Building East on the 11th. Photo by KT

This agreement is a follow-up to the initial partnership signed in May. The two companies have now entered a subsequent phase of cooperation, focusing on the practical implementation of joint business initiatives and participation in Vietnam’s national AI strategy. Executives from both sides have traveled between the two countries to design a cooperation roadmap and discuss how to implement the terms of the agreement.

The agreement was signed in advance of the "Korea-Vietnam Business Forum," which was attended by more than 500 business leaders from both countries. The signing ceremony, held on August 11 at KT’s Gwanghwamun East Building, was attended by Youngseop Kim, CEO of KT, Duc Thang Tao, Chairman and CEO of Viettel Group, and other key executives from both companies.

The two companies will collaborate on several fronts: establishing a national AI strategy and developing industry-specific AX platforms; expanding AX business in Southeast Asia through global partnerships; creating AI-based cybersecurity and a safe digital and AX environment; and investing in AX capability enhancement and AI talent development.

First, they will jointly develop a "national general-purpose AI language model" tailored to Vietnam’s unique language, culture, and administrative environment. This model will be applied across education, administration, and public services. In addition, they will build "vertical (specialized) AX platforms" optimized for industries such as healthcare, defense, and media, providing customized AI solutions for each field.

The partnership also aims to expand the AX ecosystem throughout Southeast Asia. Viettel Group will join KT’s global partnership and technology ecosystem, pursuing technical collaboration and information sharing with global big tech companies. Through these efforts, the companies plan to lead national-level AX initiatives in Vietnam and expand into neighboring markets.

In the areas of AX capability enhancement and AI talent development, the two companies will establish the "Global AX Innovation Center (G-AXC)" to foster specialized personnel for research, development (R&D), and practical demonstration of the national general-purpose AI language model. They will also develop and operate practical, job-oriented AX training programs and a certification system to assess relevant competencies, enabling Vietnamese citizens to utilize AI in their daily lives.

The companies will also work together to create a secure AX ecosystem. They will jointly research AI solutions capable of real-time analysis and blocking of phishing crimes, such as voice phishing and deepfakes. Both sides will share major phishing cases and technical know-how from their respective countries and build a shared database based on this information.

Along with the signing of Strategic Partnership 2.0, the two companies also attended the "Korea-Vietnam Business Forum" hosted by the Korea Chamber of Commerce and Industry on August 12. KT and Viettel Group presented their partnership case and discussed ways to collaborate with companies possessing AX capabilities.

Duc Thang Tao, Chairman and CEO of Viettel Group, stated, "Through this agreement with KT, we aim to secure AI solutions that reflect Vietnam’s unique data and industry characteristics. We expect that an innovative platform combining the technological strengths of both countries will drive digital transformation across all sectors of Vietnamese industry."

Youngseop Kim, CEO of KT, emphasized, "Establishing a national AI strategy and developing industry-specific AX platforms is more than just providing technology-it is a meaningful collaboration that contributes to Vietnam’s future growth engines. As a global AI innovation partner, KT will work with Vietnam to usher in a new era of AI."

KT announced on the 12th that it has signed Strategic Partnership 2.0 with Viettel Group, a state-owned IT company in Vietnam. Youngseop Kim, CEO of KT (front row, right), and Duc Thang Dao, Chairman and CEO of Viettel Group, signed the Strategic Partnership 2.0 to concretize AX cooperation between the two companies on the 11th at the KT Gwanghwamun Building East. Photo by KT

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.