In the current of international integration flowing through the port city, the cooperative relationship between Hai Phong and South Korean partners is not merely reflected in investment capital figures; it has become a quintessential model for comprehensive engagement across multiple fields, from economics and science-technology to education and healthcare. In particular, the high-level working visit of the Chairman of the City People's Committee (CPC) to South Korea, scheduled from May 31 to June 6, 2026, is expected to open a new chapter, realizing the ambition of transforming Hai Phong into a leading regional high-tech hub.
South Korea – The Leading Investor and Economic Pillar of the Port City
To date, South Korea has firmly established its position as the leading nation in terms of total Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) into industrial parks and economic zones in Hai Phong. With 173 projects and a total capital scale exceeding 14.6 billion USD, South Korean enterprises not only contribute significantly to the city's budget but also serve as the primary engine driving economic growth and the structural shift of the city's industry.
The presence of leading multinational corporations such as LG, SKC, and Hyundai has created a robust supporting industrial ecosystem. Among these, the LG Group plays a "nuclear" role, maintaining close connections with a network of suppliers and contributing to Hai Phong's entry into the global supply chains of the electronics and technology industries. This relationship is further strengthened through specific local policies, synchronized transport infrastructure, and direct, timely support from city leadership.
Science and Technology Cooperation: Towards an International "Tech Hub" Model
One of the most profound milestones in the bilateral cooperative relationship is the handshake between the Hai Phong CPC and the Korea Institute of Science and Technology (KIST), formalized through a Memorandum of Understanding signed in November 2025. This is a strategic step aimed at transforming the city's growth model from one based on low-cost labor to one driven by innovation.
The focus of this cooperation is the establishment of the “KIST - Hai Phong Tech Hub” model, a unit under the Department of Science and Technology that serves as the "headquarters" for South Korean experts to work and transfer technology. The fields of cooperation are highly diverse, ranging from biomedicine and bio-technology to pilot research on new materials such as bio-organic polymers or graphene nanoparticles, in collaboration with local enterprises like the Hai Phong Paint Joint Stock Company.
Furthermore, Hai Phong is actively coordinating with KIST spin-off companies, such as Eco-Hopia, to implement digital agriculture projects and produce next-generation organic fertilizers with funding from KOICA. The city is also striving to build a pilot legal framework for green technology and carbon finance, while proposing specific preferential policies to attract modern R&D centers and laboratories from major corporations.
Education and Training: Building Human Resources for the Digital Age
Hai Phong takes pride in being the first locality in the country to pilot the teaching of Korean as a first foreign language in general schools. Currently, 13 schools (from primary to high school) with over 1,350 students are enrolled in this program, supported by professional expertise and teachers from the Representative Office of the Ministry of Education of South Korea in Vietnam.
In addition, Korean language clubs attract thousands of students at prestigious schools such as Tran Phu Gifted High School and Marie Curie High School. This cooperation extends further to South Korean localities such as Jeolla Province and Gyeonggi-do through regular working delegations and "Korean Cultural Classroom" programs.
At the higher education and vocational levels, Hai Phong University (HPUni) has signed cooperation agreements with six South Korean universities, notably Busan University of Foreign Studies, which operates the King Sejong Korean Language and Culture Center. Scholarship projects like Woonjung (totaling nearly 30,000 USD for the 2023-2025 period) and "LG Track" joint training programs have provided maximum conditions for students to access professional working environments at South Korean corporations immediately upon graduation. Notably, the Gyeongsangnam Department of Education has donated "Smart Classrooms" and provided STEAM education skill training for over 500 city officials and teachers, laying the foundation for future education.
Healthcare: Protecting People and High-End Technology Transfer
The cooperative relationship in the health sector between Hai Phong and South Korea is characterized by both humanitarianism and high technical standards. On one hand, the city is actively promoting the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding with the South Korean Embassy to establish an emergency medical support system, ensuring maximum safety for South Korean citizens living and working in the locality.
On the other hand, the city's major hospitals, typical of which is Viet Tiep Friendship Hospital, are boosting links with partners such as Dayone Vina and Open Healthcare. These projects go beyond doctor exchanges to include investment in modern infrastructure, such as building an International Aesthetic Unit and establishing a 2,000 m² laboratory at the An Dong facility equipped with advanced molecular biology and genetic testing technology from the Seegene medical organization. The broader goal is to "localize technical capacity" and build a brand for high-tech medical products right in Hai Phong.
The May 2026 Working Visit: Significance and Breakthrough Expectations
In this context, the visit of the high-level city delegation led by Mr. Do Thanh Trung, Deputy Secretary of the City Party Committee and Chairman of the CPC, to South Korea in late May 2026 carries special strategic significance. This is not merely an annual investment promotion activity but a meticulous preparation to realize the city's socio-economic growth goals in a period of deep integration.
Core Objectives and Expected Outcomes:
- Accelerating Billion-Dollar Investment Decisions: Working directly with the leaders of LG, SKC, and Hyundai groups to speed up the decision-making process for new projects and the expansion of existing ones. The city expects to receive new waves of high-quality investment, contributing significantly to the goal of achieving impressive total FDI for 2026.
- Accessing Future Technologies: The delegation will survey and research the application of development models for AI, semiconductors, servers, and data infrastructure at South Korean high-tech enterprises. This serves as a premise for Hai Phong to plan and build smart industrial parks that meet the needs of the Fourth Industrial Revolution.
- Expanding the Partner Network: Through an investment promotion conference with LG's supplier network and other potential investors, Hai Phong aims to showcase its superior advantages in transport infrastructure, seaports, and the city's latest incentive policies.
- Strengthening Local Diplomacy: Meetings with the Vietnamese Embassy in South Korea will help tighten the connection, ensuring continuous and effective support for the city's future foreign affairs activities.
The Hai Phong – South Korea cooperative relationship is in its most brilliant stage of development, built on a foundation of trust and mutual benefit. The upcoming visit by Chairman Do Thanh Trung is the "detonator" to clear new resources, propelling Hai Phong forward in the race to attract high-tech and sustainable investment. With the thorough, focused, and practical preparation of various departments, there is great confidence in a successful outcome that will elevate the Hai Phong – South Korea relationship to new heights, becoming a model for the Comprehensive Strategic Partnership between the two nations.