The South Korean government is enhancing cooperation with Vietnam's scientific and technological authorities to secure the Ninh Thuan 2 nuclear power project. It is also looking to expand collaboration in advanced industries such as semiconductors and artificial intelligence (AI).
The Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy announced that Minister Kim Jeong-kwan met with Vietnam's Minister of Science and Technology, Huynh Thanh Dat, on September 30 at the Korea Technology Center in Seoul to discuss economic cooperation and collaboration in advanced industries, including nuclear power.
Minister Dat oversees Vietnam's nuclear research and development, workforce training, and nuclear safety regulations, and he is a member of the national evaluation committee that reviews the feasibility studies for nuclear projects.
The meeting was arranged to strengthen government communication regarding the selection of countries for nuclear cooperation and to support the participation of South Korean companies in the project.
During the meeting, Minister Kim emphasized the importance of cooperation in advanced fields such as semiconductors and AI to strengthen trade and investment relations with Vietnam. He highlighted the need for a stable and large-scale power supply for Vietnam's industrial advancement and its goal of becoming a high-income country by 2045, underscoring the necessity of collaboration in nuclear construction.
He shared experiences of cooperation with nuclear project host countries and discussed technology exchange and workforce training. The two ministers also reviewed the current status of the Ninh Thuan 2 project and future procedures, as well as trends among Vietnam's overseas cooperation partners.
Last year, South Korea and Vietnam signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) on nuclear workforce training, and in April of this year, Korea Electric Power Corporation and Vietnam's Electricity of Vietnam (EVN) signed an MOU to explore the potential for nuclear development cooperation. The two parties agreed to pursue supply chain collaboration and business profitability analysis related to the Ninh Thuan 2 project.
Minister Kim stated, "We will continue to communicate closely with Vietnam to ensure that our companies' participation in the Ninh Thuan 2 project contributes to the economic development of both countries, while providing government-level support for securing the nuclear project."
* This article has been translated by AI.
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