Diplomacy Journal Lee Sung Jun | South Korea's Minister of Land, Infrastructure and Transport, Kim Yoon-duck, met with Vietnamese Minister of Construction Tran Hong Minh on the afternoon of 26 August at the National Land Development Exhibition Hall, where the two discussed supporting Korean companies' participation in the feasibility study for Vietnam's North-South High-Speed Railway project, along with cooperation on smart cities, intelligent transport systems (ITS), and people-to-people exchange between the two countries.
Kim noted that bilateral rail cooperation has produced concrete results since the two ministers' meeting in July, including the first Korea-Vietnam Railway Cooperation Conference, and expressed hope that the two countries would continue building more specific cooperation on the North-South High-Speed Railway project. He specifically requested the Vietnamese government's attention and cooperation in allowing Korean public institutions and companies, which have accumulated experience in high-speed rail design, construction, operation and technological self-sufficiency, to participate actively from the feasibility study stage of the project.
Kim also highlighted Korea's experience developing smart cities in response to urban growth and changing transportation demand, expressing hope that Korea's policy experience, shared through programs such as the K-City Network cooperation initiative, could support the development of Vietnam's rapidly growing urban and transportation sectors. The K-City Network is a government-to-government cooperation program that applies Korean-style smart city models to cities abroad, supporting smart city planning and the overseas demonstration of Korean smart solutions.
Kim additionally introduced a master's program for capacity-building in infrastructure development policy, which has drawn interest from the Vietnamese side, and expressed hope for expanded people-to-people exchange between the two countries. The program invites government officials from partner countries for training to help lay the groundwork for Korean companies' overseas construction projects; graduates return to work in infrastructure-related departments in their home countries, where they share local information and serve as a network with Korean companies.
The Vietnamese side said that visits to smart city and ITS sites during its delegation's trip to Korea had been impressive, and noted that infrastructure demand in Vietnam is growing significantly amid administrative restructuring, welcoming the participation of Korean companies. The Vietnamese delegation also shared updates on the progress of the North-South High-Speed Railway project and expressed hope for cooperation with Korea in various forms, including in urban rail as well as high-speed rail.
Vietnam is South Korea's third-largest trading partner and its top ASEAN partner for overseas construction cooperation, with Korean companies currently involved in various infrastructure projects including the Dong Nam new city development project and the supply of railcars for the Ho Chi Minh City Metro.
Building on this meeting, the two sides agreed to establish a regular forum for exchange on infrastructure issues including urban development and rail, agreeing to hold the first Korea-Vietnam Infrastructure and Technology Cooperation Committee meeting later this year to continue detailed discussions on key cooperation agenda items.
