Delegates at the Vietnam-Korea Business Forum which took place in Seoul on April 14. (Photo: VNA)
Seoul (VNA) – The Vietnam-Korea Business Forum took place in Seoul on Apr🍎il 14 with the focus on opportunities for small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs).
The forum was organised by the Vietnam Association of Small and Medium Enterprises and the Vietnam Trade Office in the Republic of Korea to connect businesses in the two countries.
Present at the event were Vietnamese Ambassador to the RoK Pham Huu Chi, President of the Vietnam Coffee and Cocoa Association (VICOFA) Luong Van Tu, Second Deputy Head of the Trade and Investment Unit of ASEAN-Korea Centre Moon Ki-bong and representatives of about 50 SMEs from both sides.
Ambassador Pham Huu Chi said the RoK is now Vietnam’s biggest investor, with about 45 billion USD pumped into Vietnam.
The RoK is also Vietnam’s third largest trading partner while Vietnam is the fourth largest of the RoK. Last year, bilateral trade exceeded 36 billion USD, he noted.
Chi said that the two sides have huge potential to develop trade and production linkages.
VICOFA President Luong Van Tu, who is former chief of Vietnam’s WTO negotiation delegation, said that the new-generation Vietnam-Korea Free Trade Agreement (FTA), which took effect late last year, opened up opportunities for businesses in the two nations, especially small and medium sized firms.
Processing and exports of farming products are among promising sectors where Vietnam’s strengths in agriculture and the RoK’s advanced technologies could complement each other, he added.
CS International, a RoK-based cosmetics producer, sees Vietnam as a promising market, director Cho Yoon told Vietnam News Agency.
He spoke highly of the country’s business climate and hoped to find a capable business partner at the forum.-VNA
The Republic of Korea (RoK) is among three leading countries that have the highest number of investors in the Vietnamese stock market, Chairman of the State Securities Commission Vu Bang said.
Authorities from the northern province of Ha Nam have promised optimal conditions for the Kolon Industries Group from the Republic of Korea (RoK) to run its business in the locality.
Foreign investors are registered to invest approximately 4.03 billion USD in Vietnam in the first quarter of this year, surging by 119 percent against the same period last year.
Vietnam continues to be the Republic of Korea (RoK)’s export market with the highest growth rate, according to a report released by the RoK Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy (MOTIE) on April 1.
A key change in the draft decree is a provision requiring bank transfers for gold transactions valued at 20 million VND (765 USD) and above, to enhance transparency and verify customer identities.
In the first four months of 2025, trade turnover between Vietnam and Cambodia surpassed 3 billion USD, marking a 7% increase compared to the same period in 2024.
On June 19 alone, a total of 2,005 trucks completed customs clearance at Lang Son’s border gates — the highest single-day figure ever recorded in the province. Of these, 634 carried exports and 1,371 imports.
The OECD Economic Surveys: Vietnam 2025 report focuses on analysing the country’s macroeconomic fundamentals, the impact of international integration on attracting foreign investment and trade, and the country’s prospects for developing a low-carbon economy.
Antoine Colin, Senior Vice President for Global Supply Chain Digital Transformation & Resilience at HP Inc., affirmed HP’s strategic commitment to building a supply chain and ecosystem in Vietnam and the region.
Deputy Director General of the Ministry of Industry and Trade (MoIT)’s Trade Promotion Agency Bui Quang Hung emphasised that logistics has evolved from a technical function into a core capability for Vietnamese exporters to maintain their competitive advantage in the US market.
A trade official has suggested companies work closely with shipping lines, airlines, and freight forwarders to monitor routes, transit times, and potential surcharges while exploring broader cargo insurance to cover risks like war and terrorism.
In addition to institutional reform, the agency is also rolling out key solution groups to combat counterfeit goods, imitations, and intellectual property infringements in the digital environment.
The event, co-organised by the Vietnam Trade Office in the UK and TT Meridian, a local importer of Vietnamese fresh produce, aims to build a national lychee brand and encourage broader recognition of Vietnamese fruits in a competitive, high-end market.
The industry's performance has been powered by bold investments in modern production lines, enabling Vietnamese firms to produce complicated products which were exclusive to advanced economies.
Outcomes of ABAC III will shape ABAC’s final policy recommendations to be submitted to the ABAC-APEC leaders’ dialogue, scheduled to take place in the Republic of Korea this November.
This is the second year the magazine has released the ranking, which is based on total revenue and key financial indicators of enterprises from seven countries in the region: Vietnam, Indonesia, Thailand, Malaysia, Singapore, the Philippines, and Cambodia.
At the summit, publishing, tech, and media sectors will discuss emerging trends, business models, and sustainable solutions for digital publishing development in Vietnam.
This year’s “Vietnam Goods Week” marks a significant milestone as it is being held simultaneously for the first time in four locations across Asia: Japan, Hong Kong (China), Cambodia, and Malaysia, from June 19 - 22.
According to NordCham Vietnam Chairman Thue Quist Thomasen, the Vietnamese Government’s commitment to achieving net-zero emissions by 2050 is both a challenge and an opportunity for businesses to contribute to green and sustainable growth.
The analysis from an investment perspective shows that the economy’s growth has been heavily capital‑driven, yet efficiency remains low as reflected by Vietnam’s Incremental Capital-Output Ratio (ICOR) being significantly higher than global and regional averages. This underscores the imperative to enhance capital‑use efficiency.
Delegates at the Vietnam-Korea Business Forum which took place in Seoul on April 14. (Photo: VNA)
