Seoul (VNA) – Korean information and communications technology (ICT) companies are expanding their investment and operations in Vietnam, hiring local talent, establishing new data centres and partnering with Vietnamese firms as they tap into the country’s fast-growing digital transformation agenda.
Naver – one of the largest technology companies in the Republic of Korea (RoK) – is recruiting in Vietnam. Naver Vietnam has posted vacancies ranging from internship positions to senior engineer roles, including Android developers, back-end engineers and product managers. The company enjoys a strong reputation in the local tech community, earning an average rating of 4.8 out of 5 on ITviec, Vietnam’s leading IT recruitment platform. Since entering the Vietnamese market in 2015, Naver has continuously expanded its presence, launching the livestreaming platform V Live (now Hive Weverse) and establishing a development centre.
Vietnam is considered one of the most promising ICT markets in the region. With a young population - median age at 32.5 - and an internet penetration rate of 93%, the country offers substantial growth potential. The Vietnamese Government is also pushing ahead with smart-city development centred on Hanoi as a national priority. According to Statista, Vietnam’s smart-city market was valued at 206.9 million USD in 2024, up 47.5% from 2021, and is projected to grow at an average annual rate of 12.55% between 2025 and 2029.
A major push in bilateral cooperation came during high-level meetings in August 2025, held during Party General Secretary To Lam’s visit to the RoK. The two countries agreed to deepen collaboration in artificial intelligence (AI), smart-city development and digital infrastructure in Vietnam. They also set a target to boost two-way trade from 86.7 billion USD in 2024 to 150 billion USD by 2030, while expanding cooperation in future-oriented sectors such as advanced technology, energy and supply chains.
Beyond Naver, other Korean ICT players are increasingly turning their attention to Vietnam’s market. SK Telecom is preparing to develop an AI Data Centre (AI DC) in Vietnam in partnership with SK Innovation. The company plans to use Vietnam as a regional base for expansion into Malaysia, Singapore and other markets through partnerships with affiliated enterprises.
Meanwhile, Korea Telecom (KT) – one of the RoK’s largest and oldest telecommunications groups – has established a strategic partnership with Viettel, Vietnam’s biggest telecom provider. The two sides plan to cooperate in AI transformation (AX), including jointly developing a national multi-purpose AI language model tailored for use in Vietnam.
According to the Hanoi office of the Korea Trade-Investment Promotion Agency (KOTRA), Vietnam has defined smart-city development as a national strategic priority and is accelerating digital transformation across major urban areas. This policy momentum goes beyond infrastructure expansion, encompassing urban governance, transportation, energy and environmental management. KOTRA noted that Korean companies have strong potential to move beyond short-term supplier roles to become long-term strategic partners who not only provide technology and services but also contribute to planning and problem solving for Vietnam’s digital future./.
VNA
