Vietnam is broadening its collaboration with South Korea as it develops nuclear power and artificial intelligence (AI) as key national technologies. The scope of cooperation is expanding beyond nuclear power construction and operation to include safety management, AI, semiconductors, batteries, advanced materials, and the training of skilled researchers.
According to Vietnam News Agency (VNA) on September 30, a delegation led by Vu Hai Quan, Vietnam's Minister of Science and Technology, visited South Korea to discuss ways to enhance cooperation in advanced technology fields, including nuclear power, AI, innovation, and talent development.
During a meeting in Seoul, Minister Vu discussed the direction of cooperation in the nuclear power industry with Minister of Trade, Industry and Energy Lee Chang-gun. Vietnam is focusing on developing nuclear energy as a key area in line with its strategy for nuclear energy development and application by 2035 and its vision for 2050. Minister Vu emphasized, "Vietnam's core task is to build sufficient national capacity to safely manage and operate nuclear power plants, and we must secure technology step by step to establish a sustainable development foundation."
Vietnam expressed interest in South Korea's institutional and policy experiences accumulated during its nuclear industry growth. Minister Vu requested the sharing of experiences related to the roles of policy-making and regulatory bodies, advanced nuclear technology, and the establishment of a national nuclear industry supply chain. The training of specialized personnel in the nuclear sector was also highlighted as a key area for cooperation. Vietnam hopes to learn from South Korea's long-term experience in nurturing nuclear talent through in-depth education, practical training, and personnel rotation.
Minister Lee emphasized South Korea's nearly 40 years of experience in developing nuclear technology. He stated, "South Korea has accumulated a wealth of experience through both successes and failures. The nuclear industry requires technical capabilities and a robust legal and management system, and above all, safety is a non-negotiable element."
“Expanding Cooperation Beyond Nuclear Power to AI and Semiconductors”
South Korea also expressed its intention to engage in comprehensive cooperation, including the Ninh Thuan 2 nuclear power project. The South Korean side indicated its readiness to collaborate on sharing experiences in nuclear construction and operation, ensuring safety, training specialized personnel, and developing related industrial supply chains, as well as technology transfer to Vietnam.
The discussion also covered the AI transformation in manufacturing as a cooperation agenda. The South Korean side introduced a system managed directly by the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy for the AI transformation of the manufacturing sector, highlighting key success factors such as AI technological capabilities, corporate willingness to transform, and governance connecting technology and manufacturing. The 'MX Alliance' model, which involves government, businesses, AI companies, research institutions, and universities, was also presented. This collaborative body aims to integrate AI across the manufacturing sector to promote industrial AI transformation.
Minister Vu later attended the 12th Global ICT Leadership Forum, co-hosted by the Ministry of Science and Technology and the National Information Society Agency (NIA) of South Korea. This year's forum focused on "practical AI transformation cooperation for global digital prosperity," discussing cooperation strategies for AI and digital transformation between South Korea and various countries.
High-level delegations from eight countries, including Vietnam, the Philippines, Laos, Bhutan, Kyrgyzstan, Panama, Egypt, and Uzbekistan, participated in the forum. Nguyen Khac Rick, Director of the Information Technology Industry Department of Vietnam's Ministry of Science and Technology, introduced Vietnam's AI strategy, stating, "Vietnam aims to integrate AI into the daily operations of government agencies, businesses, and citizens, pursuing this through the national AI strategy by 2030 and the vision for 2045."
Previously, Vietnam set a goal for 100% of civil servants and public sector workers to utilize AI weekly by 2030. Plans are also underway for 60% of businesses to adopt AI to enhance work efficiency and improve the quality of public administration services.
Securing AI sovereignty was also highlighted as a key focus. Vietnam aims to establish control over data while building a computing infrastructure of approximately 500 MW and developing at least eight Vietnamese language-based models and more than five general-purpose AI platforms. The plan also includes training 10,000 advanced AI specialists.
Additionally, Vietnam requested cooperation with South Korea and the international community on pilot applications of AI in public services and the development of language models and computing infrastructure through research and business networks. They also expressed a desire for joint efforts in establishing testing and management standards for safe and reliable AI.
Meanwhile, Minister Vu and the delegation visited the Korea Institute of Science and Technology (KIST) in the afternoon to discuss ways to expand cooperation in research and development. Minister Vu emphasized the need to elevate joint research levels in strategic technology areas such as semiconductors, AI, batteries and energy storage, advanced materials, and biotechnology. They also proposed establishing a system for KIST and the Vietnam National Institute of Science and Technology (VKIST) to jointly utilize research and development infrastructure and advanced equipment.
Discussions included expanding personnel exchanges to allow Vietnamese researchers to conduct research directly at KIST and establishing a 'KIST School' cooperation system for long-term master's and doctoral training. Both sides also exchanged views on the direction of VKIST's research and development projects from 2026 to 2033.
O Sang-rok, President of KIST, stated, "VKIST has symbolized special cooperation between our two countries, and we will continue to collaborate and provide maximum support to ensure the project is completed as scheduled." He also expressed his commitment to supporting VKIST in functioning as a key research and development hub connecting research institutions and businesses in South Korea and Vietnam.
Meanwhile, the Ninh Thuan nuclear power project involves the construction of a large nuclear power plant with a total capacity of 4 to 6.4 GW in Ninh Thuan Province, Vietnam. The first unit is being developed by Russia, while South Korea aims to secure the contract for the second unit, scheduled to be operational by 2035.
In South Korea, the bidding process intensified following President Lee Jae-myung's state visit to Vietnam in April. During that visit, Korea Electric Power Corporation signed a memorandum of understanding with Vietnam's state-owned PetroVietnam Power Corporation (PVN) to collaborate on nuclear power development and review plans for new nuclear construction. The Export-Import Bank of Korea, the Korea Trade Insurance Corporation, and Korea Electric Power Corporation also established a financial cooperation framework to support the project.
* This article has been translated by AI.
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