Vietnam and South Korea sign eight AI and semiconductor cooperation agreements

Businesses, associations and educational institutions from Vietnam and South Korea signed eight cooperation agreements at their first bilateral AI-semiconductor summit in Hanoi on November 12. The agreements cover supply-chain and business links, technology development and workforce training.

The Vietnam–Korea AI-Semiconductor Summit 2026 brought together more than 400 delegates, including representatives of over 50 semiconductor companies, alongside universities, research institutes and local authorities from both countries.

Vietnamese Deputy Minister of Science and Technology Tran Trung Tinh urged the two countries to move beyond investment and manufacturing towards collaborative research, chip design and product development. He also proposed long-term cooperation on skilled workers and an AI and semiconductor ecosystem built around openness, safety and trust.

Tinh said Vietnam sought not only to attract investment but also to progressively master technologies and deepen its role in global value chains. He called for projects with defined goals and implementation schedules, backed by closer monitoring of signed agreements.

Kim Dong-jun, Counsellor at the Korean Embassy in Vietnam, proposed collaborative research and testing of chips designed for AI. His proposals also included internships, university-business partnerships and expanded commercial cooperation on digital infrastructure and AI data centres.

Panel participants examined how Vietnamese companies could enter the semiconductor market, turn chip designs into commercial products and meet supply-chain requirements. They also discussed support mechanisms and connections with international partners.