On the morning of May 20, the Hai Phong Department of Foreign Affairs, in coordination with the Hai Phong Vietnam–Korea Friendship Association and the Korea Chamber of Business in Hai Phong (KOCHAM Hai Phong), organized a dialogue on “Opportunities and challenges for Vietnamese and Korean businesses in Hai Phong.”
Attending the dialogue were Le Anh Quan, Standing Vice Chairman of the Hai Phong People’s Committee and Chairman of the city’s Vietnam–Korea Friendship Association; representatives of leaders of departments, sectors, agencies and associations; and Korean and Hai Phong businesses.
Speaking at the dialogue, Standing Vice Chairman Le Anh Quan said that Korea is currently Hai Phong’s second-largest investor by number of projects, with 186 projects, and ranks first in total registered investment capital, reaching USD 14.2 billion. Korean-invested projects operate effectively and focus heavily on high-tech products, helping raise the technological and scientific content of local businesses, boost export turnover, create jobs and make important contributions to the city budget. Hai Phong highly appreciates the business community in general, especially Korean businesses, for actively accompanying the city’s development in recent years. The city is committed to standing alongside businesses and creating every favorable condition for FDI enterprises to invest in the locality for the long term, effectively and sustainably.
In the coming period, Hai Phong will continue to focus on improving the investment and business environment and support businesses in accessing land, credit, human resources and high-quality workforce training. At the same time, the city will strengthen support for domestic enterprises, especially small businesses, so they can build capacity to cooperate with FDI enterprises, access advanced technologies and work effectively with Korean businesses.
Representing Korean businesses, Seog Myeong Gug, Chairman of the Korea Chamber of Business in Hai Phong (KOCHAM), said that the dialogue had practical significance, creating an opportunity for Vietnamese and Korean businesses in Hai Phong to gain a deeper understanding of one another and cooperate more broadly, especially in supporting products and human resources. This cooperation helps FDI enterprises reduce production costs, improve competitiveness and strengthen their competitive position in international markets.
At the dialogue, Lee Kyung Hee, Vice Chairman of KOCHAM Hai Phong, shared specific solutions to improve Hai Phong’s investment and business environment, emphasizing the role of workforce quality. Accordingly, the city needs to improve the quality of education and vocational training to international standards, focusing at local universities on key industries such as industrial engineering, automation, electronics and artificial intelligence (AI). It should also strengthen teaching of Korean and other foreign languages and focus on soft skills such as communication, teamwork, critical thinking and problem-solving. He also proposed developing training cooperation programs between Vietnamese and Korean vocational education institutions, expanding training partnerships and student and lecturer exchanges. In addition, Hai Phong should encourage Korean businesses to participate in developing training programs and provide internship opportunities for students.
Nguyen Huu Phu, Director of Thang Long International Solutions Joint Stock Company, said that small and medium-sized enterprises still face difficulties in accessing large businesses, especially FDI enterprises. Therefore, this dialogue program is considered an important starting point, helping Vietnamese and Korean businesses deepen mutual understanding and seek cooperation opportunities in the coming period./.
Source: Hai Phong City Electronic Information Portal