RoK media spotlight PM Phạm Minh Chính’s recent visit

PM Phạm Minh Chính meets Samsung’s Vice Chairman Young Hyun Jun on July 3. — VNA/VNS Photo Dương Văn Giang

SEOUL — Major media outlets of the Republic of Korea (RoK) continued to highlight the results of the recent visit to the Northeast Asian country by Vietnamese Prime Minister Phạm Minh Chính at the invitation of his Korean counterpart Han Duck-soo.

Donga Ilbo ran an article, recalling Chính’s speech at the Asian Research Centre of the Seoul National University, in which he affirmed Việt Nam always values its cooperation and exchanges with the RoK while highlighting similarities in the culture of the two countries.

The newswire quoted Seoul National University President Yoo Hong-lim as saying that over the past ten years, about 600 Vietnamese students have studied at the university. He said the university plans to continue to maintain and expand cooperation into research fields with Việt Nam soon.

Meanwhile, Hankuk Kyongjae ran an article, stating that Việt Nam is trying to attract Korean investment in the semiconductor industry. During his visit to the RoK from June 30 to July 3, the Vietnamese PM met with Samsung Electronics Chairman Lee Jae-yong, examining a possible plan to attract semiconductor investment.

The Vietnamese leader made a field trip to Samsung’s semiconductor cluster in Pyeongtaek Province.

Việt Nam’s Bắc Giang Province was mentioned as a top candidate for receiving the investment.

Hankuk Kyongjae quoted PM Chính as saying that Việt Nam welcomes and encourages investment in semiconductors and artificial intelligence (AI). He said the country will promote an ecosystem for the areas and also emphasised that Việt Nam will make efforts to foster high-quality talent, improve systems and develop infrastructure to best support companies investing in the semiconductor industry.

According to Hankuk Kyongjae, all eyes are on whether this move will lead to the development of the semiconductor industry in Việt Nam. If semiconductor investment becomes a reality, the northern province of Bắc Giang near Hà Nội is considered one of the favourable locations for Korean companies to enter the market.

As Samsung Electronics produces nearly 50 per cent of the world’s total smartphones in Việt Nam, the country will likely be a venue for the company’s semiconductor investment.

Samsung Electronics has so far poured approximately US$22.4 billion into projects in Việt Nam. With more than 90,000 workers working locally, Samsung Vietnam’s export turnover reached about $55.7 billion last year. The firm currently produces not only smartphones but also network equipment, TVs, screen displays and batteries in HCM City, Bắc Ninh and Thái Nguyên.

Hankuk Kyongjae quoted Samsung Chairman Lee Jae-Yong as saying that the company is planning to invest in screen displays, and Việt Nam will become the largest screen manufacturing base in the world in the next three years. — VNS