New opportunities for cooperation in promoting the application of Artificial Intelligence between Vietnam and South Korea.

On October 29th, in Hanoi, the Ministry of Science and Technology of Vietnam, in collaboration with the Ministry of Science and Information Technology of South Korea, organized the Vietnam-Korea Digital Forum 2025.

The forum is an annual event included in the Memorandum of Cooperation signed between the two countries in 2022 and is also a highlight of Vietnam International Digital Week 2025.

With the theme "From Industry-Specific AI to Inclusive AI: Korea-Vietnam Building a Shared Future," the event brought together dozens of leading technology companies from both countries, hoping to open up many new opportunities for cooperation in the fields of Artificial Intelligence (AI), digital industry, smart education , and more.

Vietnam will build a national AI supercomputing center.

Speaking at the event, Deputy Minister of Science and Technology Hoang Minh emphasized that AI is not just an applied technology but is becoming a national infrastructure. Whoever masters AI will have a significant advantage in manufacturing, business, healthcare , education, national governance, and even defense and security.

With a young, dynamic, and tech-savvy population of 100 million, Vietnam is well-positioned to be both a quick user and a creator of AI products for itself and the world.

Regarding information on the strategy, policies, and development direction of AI in Vietnam, Deputy Minister Hoang Minh stated that Vietnam recognizes the need for AI infrastructure. The Prime Minister has issued a list of strategic technologies, in which AI is a key technology that will be prioritized for resource allocation to develop.

Vietnam will rapidly build a national AI supercomputing center and a shared open AI data system.

According to Deputy Minister Hoang Minh, computing infrastructure, data ecosystem, domestic digital technology enterprises, and research and startup forces will help Vietnam accelerate AI development. Vietnam is also pursuing an open AI strategy, promoting AI applications in businesses, government agencies, and key sectors to develop AI and create "Make in Vietnam" AI enterprises.

"The NATIF Technology Innovation Fund of the Ministry of Science and Technology will allocate at least 40% to support AI applications, providing vouchers to small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) using AI in Vietnam," Deputy Minister Hoang Minh emphasized.

South Korea is a leading country in the field of digital technology and an important partner of Vietnam. The two sides share many commonalities and opportunities for cooperation, especially in the areas of digital government development and digital human resources.

Therefore, Deputy Minister Hoang Minh believes that through this forum, Vietnam can learn more from South Korea's experiences and best practices to maximize the role of digital technology in general and AI in particular in the operations of state agencies, promote economic development, create a humane digital society, narrow the digital divide, and support and assist vulnerable groups. At the same time, the forum will reveal many new opportunities for cooperation in promoting the application of AI among relevant stakeholders.

Deputy Minister of Science and Technology Hoang Minh speaks at the Vietnam-Korea Digital Forum 2025. (Photo: VGP)

South Korean Ambassador to Vietnam Choi Young Sam stated that digital transformation is a key breakthrough for innovation in productivity in the technology sector and efficiency in the public sector, helping countries rise to become powerful nations. Vietnam and South Korea have built a solid foundation of cooperation in many fields and it is time to expand into the digital sector.

Because the supply chains of the two countries are interconnected in many industrial sectors such as semiconductor technology and electronic components, it is necessary to actively integrate AI into the manufacturing landscape, improve productivity, and jointly ensure the competitiveness of products in the international market.

To achieve this, Ambassador Choi Young Sam proposed that, through the forum, the two countries cooperate in building core digital infrastructure such as Next-Generation Networks and AI data centers. In addition, they should cooperate in training outstanding students to become professional talents leading innovation; and invest in and nurture startups with the potential to become leaders.

Further promote digital growth between Vietnam and South Korea in all fields.

Information shared at the forum indicated that by the end of 2024, 80% of businesses and 88% of knowledge workers in Vietnam were using AI, demonstrating an unprecedented rate of penetration. In government agencies, due to the significantly increased workload compared to five years ago, the application of AI is no longer an option but a necessity.

Vietnam aims to be among the top 3 in ASEAN and top 20 globally by 2030, and among the top 10 leading countries in AI by 2045, with approximately 10 "Make in Vietnam" AI brands, 50,000 AI engineers, 2 national high-performance computing centers, and 100% of civil servants using virtual assistants to support their work.

Mr. Ho Duc Thang, Director of the National Institute of Digital Technology and Digital Transformation (Ministry of Science and Technology), stated that Vietnam's approach to AI development is not to confront large companies, nor to race for infrastructure or general AI models, but rather to focus on mastering core technologies through specific Vietnamese problems in each field. A prime example is developing a large-scale language model for the Vietnamese language and culture to preserve national identity.

Mr. Ho Duc Thang proposed that Korean businesses cooperate in investing in digital infrastructure and AI data centers in Vietnam, developing specialized AI solutions for the market; in particular, he called on Korean institutes and universities to cooperate closely in research, development and training of 50,000 AI engineers.

The forum's theme, "From Industry-Specific AI to Inclusive AI: Korea and Vietnam Shaping the Future Together," clearly reflects the direction of digital cooperation that Vietnam and South Korea are pursuing. South Korea is promoting a strategy of developing both industry-specific AI focused on industrial environments and inclusive AI centered on humans.

Meanwhile, Vietnam is a hub for AI innovation in Southeast Asia thanks to its rapidly developing digital market and young, dynamic workforce.

Mr. Park Yoon Kyu, Director of the Korea National Information Technology Industry Promotion Agency, affirmed that AI is not just a technology, but also a bridge connecting people and industry based on trust. In that sense, the forum will become a starting point for cooperation connecting the digital ecosystems of the two countries.

The Korea National Information Technology Industry Promotion Agency is committed to continuing close cooperation with the Korean Ministry of Science and ICT and the Vietnamese Ministry of Science and Technology in all areas, including AI, data, startups, and talent exchange.

The forum focused on industry-specific AI and overarching AI, with approximately 20 presentations from leading South Korean regulatory bodies, businesses, and corporations such as LG AI, Naver, SK Telecom, Furiosa AI, Rebellions, SAPEON, Nextchip, and others.

Within the framework of the forum, an exhibition showcasing technology, networking opportunities for startups, and the signing of business cooperation agreements between Vietnam and South Korea took place, demonstrating the strong potential for cooperation between the two innovation ecosystems and opening up many new opportunities for collaboration in AI development.

This will contribute to promoting the Vietnam-South Korea Comprehensive Strategic Partnership to become increasingly substantive, effective, and sustainable.

(VNA/Vietnam+)

Source: https://www.vietnamplus.vn/co-hoi-hop-tac-moi-trong-thuc-day-ung-dung-tri-tue-nhan-tao-viet-nam-han-quoc-post1073586.vnp