On the afternoon of June 20, at the Central Hotel in Thanh Hoa city, the People’s Committee of Thanh Hoa province coordinated with the government of Seongnam city, South Korea, to organize a conference for businesses from the two localities to meet and connect.
The event gathered more than 150 delegates, including leaders, representatives of departments, branches, associations, and prominent businesses of Thanh Hoa province and Seongnam city. This demonstrates the determination to promote substantive and effective economic and trade cooperation between the two sides.
Attending the conference on behalf of the leaders of Thanh Hoa province were Mr. Nguyen Van Thi, Vice Chairman of the Provincial People’s Committee, and Mr. Nguyen Quang Hai, Vice Chairman of the Provincial People’s Council. Leading the Seongnam delegation was Mr. Shin Sang Jin, Mayor of Seongnam.
PROMOTING STRATEGIC COOPERATION WITH SOUTH KOREAN PARTNERS
Speaking at the conference, Mr. Nguyen Van Thi, Vice Chairman of the Provincial People’s Committee of Thanh Hoa, emphasized: “This is a practical activity to strengthen the friendly and comprehensive cooperation between Thanh Hoa province and Seongnam city, especially in the context that the two localities are oriented towards green, sustainable, and innovative development.”
According to Mr. Thi, with its position as one of the leading industrial cities in South Korea, Seongnam is considered by Thanh Hoa as a strategic partner in the process of attracting investment, especially after the province announced its Development Plan towards 2030, with a vision towards 2045. In that spirit, the leaders of Thanh Hoa province called on South Korean businesses to explore and invest in priority fields such as processing and manufacturing industries (plastics, oil refining and petrochemicals, electronic components, electric vehicles); high-tech agriculture; eco-tourism, spiritual tourism; high-tech medicine; research and development; development of urban infrastructure, renewable energy, and smart cities.
At the same time, Thanh Hoa province is committed to creating a transparent and favorable investment environment with practical support policies such as administrative reform, upgrading socio-economic infrastructure, developing human resources, and ensuring social order and security. “The success of businesses is the success of the province,” affirmed the Vice Chairman of the Provincial People’s Committee, expressing his hope that the localities in South Korea, including Seongnam, will create conditions for Thanh Hoa businesses to access the market and seek cooperation opportunities in South Korea.
SEONGNAM – SOUTH KOREA’S CENTER FOR TECHNOLOGICAL INNOVATION
On behalf of the Seongnam city government, Mayor Shin Sang Jin affirmed: “Seongnam is the center of high-tech industries such as information technology, biotechnology, artificial intelligence, and smart cities. Today, 14 leading companies from Seongnam are here not only in the spirit of exchange but also to seek substantive cooperation opportunities.”
Mayor Shin highly appreciated the industrial potential of Thanh Hoa province with its strategic geographical location, abundant labor force, and rapid industrialization. He expected that the similarities and complementarities in the economic structure would be a solid foundation for mutually beneficial cooperation.
“We expect businesses from both sides to find common ground to promote joint technology development projects, exchange human resources, and penetrate each other’s markets. Seongnam is committed to continuing to support businesses in establishing substantive cooperation relationships, going beyond courtesy visits,” emphasized Mayor Shin Sang Jin.
Currently, South Korea is the country with the most foreign direct investment projects in Thanh Hoa province, with 44 projects and a total investment of over $1.65 billion. Many typical projects such as the BOT Nghi Son 2 Thermal Power Plant, THN Autoparts automobile component manufacturing factory, and garment and electronic factories are operating effectively, making important contributions to the provincial budget and providing tens of thousands of jobs for local workers.
In addition, the South Korean government and non-governmental organizations have also provided tens of millions of dollars in aid for non-profit development programs in Thanh Hoa province in the fields of healthcare, education, environment, and vocational training.
EXPANDING ECONOMIC COOPERATION AND BUSINESS CONNECTIONS
During the discussion session, the delegates from both sides frankly exchanged information, cooperation needs, and proposed specific solutions to promote substantive relations between Thanh Hoa province and Seongnam city.
Mr. Cao Tien Doan, Chairman of the Thanh Hoa Business Association, said that the need for multi-national trade connections and inter-regional cooperation is more urgent than ever. Both Thanh Hoa and Seongnam are localities with strong development aspirations, so strengthening links will help both sides adapt effectively to global economic fluctuations.
“The Thanh Hoa Business Association is ready to be a reliable bridge between Korean businesses and the provincial government, helping to remove obstacles in procedures and mechanisms so that investors can feel secure in implementing their projects,” affirmed Mr. Doan.
Mr. Lee Eui Joon, Director of the Seongnam City Industry Promotion Agency, also expressed great interest in the Vietnamese market and considered Thanh Hoa province a potential destination in the strategy of expanding investment in Southeast Asia by Seongnam businesses.
Representatives of organizations such as the Vietnam Chamber of Commerce and Industry (VCCI) – Thanh Hoa – Ninh Binh branch, TCE Jeans Co., Ltd. (a Korean enterprise investing in Thanh Hoa), and many large enterprises in the province, such as Hop Luc Joint Stock Company and ADVTV Digital Communications Joint Stock Company, shared their experiences, introduced their production capabilities, and expressed their desire to find Korean partners in the fields of medicine, information technology, and digital communications…
Before the conference, the delegates visited the product display area of Thanh Hoa province’s enterprises, thereby having a more direct view of the production potential and cooperation capacity of local enterprises.
