Vietnam - Korea cooperates in distribution and logistics in digital transformation

(Chinhphu.vn) - According to the Department of Domestic Market Management and Development (Ministry of Industry and Trade), on November 26 in Seoul (South Korea), the Ministry of Industry and Trade of Vietnam and the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Resources of Korea jointly organized the 6th Vietnam - Korea Policy Dialogue Conference in the field of distribution and logistics.

The 6th Vietnam - Korea policy dialogue conference on distribution and logistics - Photo: MOIT

This is an annual event to strengthen bilateral cooperation, share policy-making experiences and promote business connections between the two countries.

Promoting connection between distribution and logistics businesses

Mr. Choi Yeonwoo, Director of the Korean Mid-sized Enterprise Policy Department, highly appreciated Vietnam's dynamic business environment. He said that in 2024, Hinte Jinro, the largest beverage group in Korea, chose Thai Binh to build its first overseas factory, demonstrating the attractiveness of the Vietnamese market. Vietnam possesses favorable raw materials and water resources for production and is perfecting the legal framework for goods trading and foreign investment, helping to create a transparent and stable environment for Korean businesses.

Director Tran Huu Linh emphasized that the Policy Dialogue mechanism maintained since 2013 has become an important tool to help the two countries share experiences, strengthen business connections and expand investment in the distribution - logistics sector. Total retail sales in the first 10 months of 2025 reached VND 5,772.9 trillion, up 9.3% over the same period, showing the resilience of the economy . The boom in e-commerce and digitalization is pushing logistics enterprises to invest heavily in smart warehouses and modern logistics centers. However, rapid development requires institutional improvement and learning from international experience, especially from Korea - a country with the most developed distribution - logistics system in the region.

The Ministry of Industry and Trade is closely coordinating with Korean partners.

In her speech, Ms. Nguyen Thao Hien, Deputy Director of the Department of Foreign Market Development, shared about activities of connecting supply chains, promoting trade and promoting Vietnamese products in Korea. The Ministry of Industry and Trade is closely coordinating with Korean partners to bring many Vietnamese products, especially agricultural products, processed foods and consumer goods, into the distribution system in Korea through Vietnamese goods weeks, business connection programs and product displays.

The Korean side also presented its experience in digital transformation, AI application in supply chains and outlet model development. Vietnam updated its institutional reform process to create more favorable conditions for distribution and logistics activities.

A notable content is the discussion on coordination in protecting intellectual property rights of Korean enterprises in Vietnam. In the context of rapidly increasing cross-border trade, the risk of intellectual property infringement is increasingly complex. Vietnam affirms to continue to coordinate with Korea in sharing data, exchanging information on goods with signs of infringement, supporting enterprises in protecting their brands and ensuring a transparent investment environment.

The discussion session also mentioned the economic needs test (ENT), the mechanism for receiving and handling suggestions from Korean enterprises, experience in operating outlets and the possibility of applying them in Vietnam; and solutions to support enterprises in improving business efficiency in the context of rapidly developing new types of distribution.

The Vietnamese side made a number of proposals to promote business linkages and sustainable development of the distribution and logistics sector. Vietnam hopes that the two countries will increase the exchange of state management experiences through annual policy dialogues and training and technology transfer programs; and promote cooperation in digital transformation and technology application.

Vietnam also asked Korea to support the development and application of ESG assessment criteria for distribution and logistics enterprises, share successful ESG models and support research on a set of standards suitable for Vietnam's conditions. At the same time, it asked Korea to increase the consumption of Vietnamese goods through distribution systems such as Lotte, Emart, GS25, K-Mart, Lotteria; connect Korean tourists with OCOP points of sale; and support Vietnamese enterprises to access the Korean distribution system through specialized seminars and instruction manuals.

At the end of the Conference, the two sides agreed to strengthen cooperation in fighting counterfeit goods, protecting intellectual property rights and consumers, through sharing expertise, working with major brands, organizing workshops on applying technology in fighting counterfeit goods and disseminating signs to identify genuine and counterfeit goods.

The 6th conference continued to affirm the determination of Vietnam and Korea in expanding cooperation, promoting trade and improving business efficiency through enhancing connectivity, applying technology and perfecting policies, creating an important foundation for cooperation programs in the coming time.

Phan Trang

Source: https://baochinhphu.vn/viet-nam-han-quoc-hop-tac-phan-phoi-va-logistics-trong-chuyen-doi-so-102251127145337227.htm