Korea and Vietnam's Top Business Leaders Gather: Over 70 Economic Agreements Signed by SK, POSCO, Doosan and More

Korea-Vietnam Business Forum Held in Hanoi
Over 500 Key Political and Business Leaders from Both Countries Attend
Four Core Areas for Advancing Industrial and Investment Partnerships

Key business leaders representing South Korea and Vietnam gathered in one place to discuss ways to expand economic cooperation between the two countries. With major business figures from both nations in attendance, the forum resulted in over 70 memoranda of understanding (MOUs) and contract agreements, focusing on strategic industries such as artificial intelligence (AI), energy, and advanced materials.

The Korean Chamber of Commerce and Industry dispatched an economic delegation in conjunction with President Lee Jae-myung's state visit on April 23, 2026 (local time), and held the "Korea-Vietnam Business Forum" in Hanoi, Vietnam. The event was attended by more than 500 key figures from the political and business sectors of both countries, with President Lee and Vietnamese Prime Minister Le Minh Hung reaffirming their commitment to bilateral economic cooperation.

Notably, South Korea's leading conglomerate chairmen and business leaders were present. Attendees included Korean Chamber of Commerce and Industry Chairman Chey Tae-won, Samsung Electronics Chairman Jay Y. Lee, LG Chairman Koo Kwang-mo, Lotte Group Chairman Dong-bin Shin, POSCO Holdings Chairman Chang In-hwa, HD Hyundai CEO Jeong Kisun, GS Chairman Huh Tae-soo, Doosan Enerbility Chairman Park Ji-won, Hyosung Chairman Cho Hyun-joon, Daewoo Construction Chairman Wonju Jung, Hyundai Motor President Sung Kim, Naver CEO Choi Soo-yeon, as well as heads of major companies and economic organizations.

On the Vietnamese side, key government officials such as Minister of Finance Ngo Van Tuan, Minister of Industry and Trade Le Minh Hung, and Minister of Science and Technology Vu Hai Quan, as well as heads of major state-owned and private enterprises including PVN Chairman Le Ngoc Son, EVN Chairman Dang Hoang An, and Vietnam Airlines Chairman Dang Ngoc Hoa, were all in attendance.

Samsung Electronics Chairman Jay Y. Lee, Daewoo Construction Chairman Wonju Jeong, SK Chairman Taewon Choi, and Lotte Group Chairman Dongbin Shin are conversing at a pre-meeting of the Korea-Vietnam Business Forum held on the 23rd (local time) at a hotel in Hanoi, Vietnam. Yonhap News Agency.

During the forum, more than 70 MOUs and contracts were signed. Key areas of cooperation included: ▲ AI data centers and digital infrastructure ▲ Energy, such as nuclear power plants and power grid construction ▲ Establishment of production bases for secondary batteries and advanced materials ▲ Smart city and infrastructure development ▲ Finance and investment.

Significant achievements were made in AI infrastructure cooperation. SK Innovation and SK Telecom each signed MOUs with the National Innovation Center (NIC) of Vietnam for the creation of AI data centers and ecosystems, and with Nghe An Province for building AI infrastructure. These companies plan to further expand their cooperation on future local infrastructure. Daewoo Construction signed an MOU with SaigonTel of Vietnam for the joint development and construction of data center projects.

Cooperation in the secondary battery and advanced materials sector also became more concrete. POSCO Future M completed the approval process with Thai Nguyen Province in Vietnam to build a synthetic graphite anode material plant, a key material for secondary batteries, and has begun establishing a supply chain for battery materials.

In the energy sector, collaboration was promoted based on South Korea's nuclear technology and power grid construction expertise. Doosan Enerbility signed business agreements with Vietnamese companies PTSC and Petrocons (PETROCONs) for cooperation on new nuclear power projects in Vietnam. Taihan Cable also signed an MOU with Vietnam's Newtecons for "power grid advancement and extra-high voltage cable business cooperation," embarking on an expanded technology partnership to strengthen local energy infrastructure.

President Lee Jae-myung and Vietnamese Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh took a commemorative photo with businesspeople from both countries at a pre-meeting of the Korea-Vietnam Business Forum held at a hotel in Hanoi on the 23rd (local time). Photo by Yonhap News.

The forum, under the theme of "Advancing Industrial, Investment, and Science & Technology Partnerships," addressed concrete action plans in four core areas: ▲ Nurturing Talent ▲ Energy ▲ AI Transformation (AIX) ▲ Science & Technology (Tech).

Regarding nurturing talent, Kim Ki-hong, Head of Strategic Cooperation Office at Samsung Vietnam, introduced cases of manufacturing innovation consulting and smart factory support, and announced plans to expand "youth future technology education" to foster next-generation technical talent.

Practical measures for cooperation in AI transformation and energy infrastructure were also discussed in depth. SK Innovation CEO Chu Hyung-wook emphasized the importance of power infrastructure for building an AI ecosystem and shared the roadmap for current collaborative projects between the two countries, such as the Quynh Lap LNG (liquefied natural gas) power generation project.

Additionally, Oh Sang-rok, President of the Korea Institute of Science and Technology (KIST), presented a vision linking talent, technology, and industry, and proposed a cooperation strategy that combines Korea's maturity with Vietnam's dynamism. Vietnamese speaker Nguyen Trung Chinh, Chairman of CMC, also shared a strategy for innovation in advanced industries based on AI and science and technology, stressing the need to strengthen the technological partnership between the two countries.

Meanwhile, at the business roundtable held prior to the forum, 26 key business leaders from both sides participated and discussed sector-specific cooperation measures. The participating companies evaluated Vietnam as a core production base and strategic market, expressing their commitment to expanding partnerships centered on advanced industries.

Yoon Chul-min, Head of International Trade at the Korean Chamber of Commerce and Industry, said, "Through this visit, we have confirmed concrete possibilities for cooperation between companies of both countries," and added, "We will continue to provide close support to ensure that strategic areas such as AI, energy, and infrastructure lead to tangible results."

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