Vietnam's Minister of Science and Technology Nguyen Manh Hung has proposed several key areas of cooperation to deepen and expand the Vietnam–South Korea partnership at a meeting in Seoul with South Korea’s Minister of Science and ICT Kyung Hoon Bae, during General Secretary of the Communist Party of Vietnam Central Cimmittee To Lam's State visit to South Korea from August 10-13.

On R&D cooperation, the two ministries will jointly select certain priority technology fields for joint development, such as artificial intelligence (AI), semiconductors, quantum technology, new materials, and clean energy.

Regarding AI collaboration, both sides will work together on policy development and legal frameworks for AI, and cooperate in training and developing high-quality AI human resources.

There are considerations to support the establishment of an AI Training Center in Vietnam, with participation from Korean institutes, universities, and businesses. The two sides will also collaborate on responsible AI pilot projects for community benefit (e.g., AI in medical diagnostics, smart education, and urban traffic management).

Efforts will be made to promote connections between AI businesses and startups, including setting up channels to link AI companies from both countries and supporting Vietnamese enterprises to join Korea’s AI innovation ecosystem.

In the framework of the Korea–ASEAN Digital Innovation Flagship Project, the Vietnamese Ministry of Science and Technology supports the implementation of the initiative and is ready to closely coordinate with South Korea's Ministry of Science and ICT to roll it out in Vietnam.

Minister Hung also proposed several specific cooperation activities, such as launching digital technology R&D and application projects for community benefit, AI development projects between Vietnamese and Korean enterprises, and organizing the ASEAN–Korea Digital Innovation Forum in Vietnam — potentially as part of the Vietnam International Digital Week scheduled for October 2026.