Minister LEE Young of the Ministry of SMEs and Startups (hereinafter referred to as MSS) held a bilateral meeting with Nguyen Chi Dung, the Minister of Planning and Investment of Vietnam, in Hanoi on June 23 (local time). The Ministry of Planning and Investment in Vietnam is responsible for overseeing the country’s development and investment plans and also performs functions related to supporting businesses. It has maintained ongoing cooperation in the field of SMEs and startups with the MSS through policy dialogues between Korea and ASEAN, and APEC SME Ministerial Meetings. In addition, it has recently established National Innovation Center (NIC) as a subsidiary organization, which focuses on supporting entrepreneurship and startups. Nguyen Chi Dung, the Minister of Planning and Investment, has previously served as a Deputy Minister and Chairman of the People’s Committee of Ninh Thuan Province, and has held the position of Minister of Planning and Investment since 2016. During this meeting, those in attendance extensively discussed mutual support measures for the strategic expansion of outstanding startups and talents from both Korea and Vietnam. They closely exchanged views on attracting Vietnamese innovation talents to Korea to foster it as a startup business hub, and how the K-Startup Center (KSC) Hanoi, scheduled to open in the latter half of this year, can become a strategic base for promising Korean startups in Vietnam. Additionally, the MSS is also conducting ODA projects and training programs related to SME support policies in the e-commerce sector in Vietnam. Also discussed were ways to enhance policy exchange between the two governments in the field of SMEs. Minister LEE Young stated, “Vietnam is a major trading partner for our SMEs, and it is a country with great enthusiasm for startups entering and establishing businesses in Korea. We will continue to make efforts to promote active exchanges and cooperation in the field of SMEs and startups.”
