Seoul (VNA) - Minister of Science and Technology Vu Hai Quan on October 1 witnessed the handover of a Vietnamese-language learning app developed by the Posts and Telecommunications Institute of Technology (PTIT) to the Vietnamese Embassy in the Republic of Korea (RoK).
The initiative aims to support language learning among children growing up in more than 100,000 Vietnamese-Korean multicultural families, while helping preserve Vietnamese cultural identity and strengthen their ties with their homeland.
Using digital technology and interactive learning methods, the app enables children to learn Vietnamese in a flexible and engaging way.
At the handover ceremony, Quan highlighted the role of science, technology and innovation in addressing practical social needs, including supporting Vietnamese communities abroad.
He said the development and deployment of technology products for overseas Vietnamese communities not only created technological value but also helped connect people, preserve cultural identity and promote Vietnamese cultural values internationally.
The Vietnamese Embassy in the RoK said it would coordinate with Vietnamese organisations, educational institutions and other relevant groups to introduce the app to families in need. It would also collect user feedback to improve the app's content and features, making it more practical and accessible to Vietnamese children in multicultural environments.
The handover was part of a series of cooperation and diplomatic activities of the Ministry of Science and Technology led by Minister Vu Hai Quan in Seoul, covering digital technology, artificial intelligence (AI), semiconductors, nuclear safety and technology applications serving Vietnamese communities overseas.
Earlier on October 1, the Vietnam-RoK Digital Technology Forum 2026 was held at the Vietnamese Embassy, drawing more than 100 delegates and representatives of technology companies from both countries.
Addressing the forum, Quan said science, technology and digital transformation are becoming an important pillar of the Vietnam-RoK Comprehensive Strategic Partnership.
He called on the two sides to promote a spirit of “co-creation,” moving from conventional outsourcing towards joint research, product design, development and proof-of-concept (PoC) projects.
The two sides should also connect digital infrastructure, AI and semiconductor technologies with manufacturing, linking research with high-quality human resource training and expanding into international markets, Quan noted.
Also on October 1, Minister Vu Hai Quan had a meeting with Korean Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Science and ICT Bae Kyung-hoon in Seoul.
The two sides discussed strategic cooperation in emerging technologies, including AI, semiconductors, quantum technology, new energy, information security and next-generation 5G/6G telecommunications.
They agreed to continue effectively implementing the second phase of the Vietnam-Korea Institute of Science and Technology (VKIST) development project, with the aim of turning VKIST into a key industrial research centre connecting the two countries' innovation ecosystems.
The two ministries also agreed to explore a comprehensive AI cooperation framework covering high-quality human resource training, the establishment of an AI Training Centre in Vietnam, pilot projects on responsible AI applications and experience sharing in digital government development.
Later the same day, Quan and the delegation visited the RoK's Nuclear Safety and Security Commission (NSSC) to exchange experience in nuclear safety regulation and capacity building in support of Vietnam's strategy for developing and applying nuclear energy through 2035, with a vision to 2050.
Vietnam proposed the NSSC enhance support for the Vietnam Agency for Radiation and Nuclear Safety, particularly in independent regulatory systems, safety assessment, nuclear inspections and licensing procedures for advanced technologies.
The two sides agreed to hold a thematic online workshop in October and develop a 2026-2030 cooperation plan based on their existing memorandum of understanding, contributing to deeper and more substantive bilateral cooperation in nuclear safety./.
