HCMC – The HCMC-Busan Business Forum was held in Busan, South Korea, on August 13, aiming to boost economic cooperation and broaden strategic sector partnerships between the two cities.
Speaking at the forum, HCMC Vice Chairman Nguyen Loc Ha emphasized that over the past 30 years, HCMC and Busan have built strong cooperative ties across various fields, from trade, investment, education, healthcare, and logistics to high technology, smart cities, and marine tourism.
He noted that the partnership between the two localities goes beyond economic indicators, serving as a joint effort to adapt to and lead new development trends such as the digital economy, green economy, and sustainable global connectivity.
Highlighting the potential for deeper cooperation, Ha urged South Korean companies, especially those from Busan, to invest in five key sectors.
The first is high-tech and semiconductors, with opportunities spanning design, manufacturing, and testing, as well as electronic components and biotechnology, aimed at boosting Vietnam’s role in global value chains.
Second is logistics and seaports, leveraging the deep-water port network in former Ba Ria-Vung Tau Province and HCMC’s strategic location to develop a modern logistics system directly connected to major international shipping routes.
Third is international finance and trade services, including the rollout of the Vietnam international financial centers and expanded collaboration with Busan’s institutions in green finance, insurance, and fintech.
Fourth is education, healthcare, and tourism, through partnerships in workforce training, modern medical infrastructure, and high-end marine and MICE tourism products.
Finally, smart cities and the green economy remain a priority, with HCMC looking to draw on Busan and South Korea’s experience in urban planning, renewable energy, circular economy, and climate change adaptation.
Busan Vice Mayor Lee Jun-seung expressed his appreciation for the HCMC delegation, highlighting that the friendly cooperative ties established in 1995 have yielded tangible results in transportation, urban planning, culture, and seaports.
He noted that, with many similarities in geography and urban structure, Busan and HCMC hold vast potential for collaboration.
At the forum, specific cooperation initiatives like green transition, high-tech industry development, AI applications in healthcare, smart city building, and tourism were also discussed.
A highlight of the event was the signing of several memorandums of understanding between South Korean and HCMC businesses.
Among them, Becamex IDC and Korea Land & Housing Corporation agreed to cooperate on smart city development, while Becamex and LS Electric will implement a smart factory project in Vietnam.
NTD AI Healthcare Vietnam and NTL Healthcare Korea signed a deal to use AI for cervical cancer screening, and Epsi Vietnam and Myongji Hospital of South Korea agreed to jointly develop a leading nursing and rehabilitation facility in Ho Tram.
Today, a ceremony was held to mark the 30th anniversary of the friendship relationship between HCMC and Busan, with the attendance of Vietnam’s Party General Secretary To Lam, his spouse and a high-level delegation of Vietnam.
