The trip, part of Vietnam’s 2026 National Trade Promotion Programme, will feature a Vietnam–RoK business networking forum and direct engagement between Vietnamese exporters and Korean importers.

It will help Vietnamese businesses better understand import demand and market potential in Busan and southern localities of the RoK, while also learning more about product standards, packaging requirements, distribution systems and consumer trends.

The programme is expected to support Vietnamese enterprises in developing market-entry strategies for key export items such as agricultural and aquatic products, processed foods, furniture, and household goods, alongside exploring OEM ((Original Equipment Manufacturers) manufacturing cooperation.

Vietnamese businesses will directly meet Korean importers and introduce their products to local businesses and consumers in Busan and nearby regions.

Notably, the Vietnam–RoK Business Networking Forum will be held in Busan with the participation of Vietnamese and Korean companies, industry associations, and relevant agencies. The forum is set to provide policy updates, business support information, and opportunities to strengthen trade and commercial ties between the two countries’ business communities.

In 2025, two-way trade between Vietnam and RoK reached US$90 billion. In the first four months of 2026 alone, bilateral trade maintained strong growth, totaling US$37.2 billion. Vietnamese exports rose 22.9% year on year to US$11.1 billion, while imports increased 40.8% to US$26.1 billion.

Vietnam recorded a trade deficit of US$15 billion with the RoK in the reviewed period, up 57.8% compared to the same period last year. Despite the deficit, the trade structure largely reflects imports of components and raw materials by Korean companies serving manufacturing operations in Vietnam.

According to the Ministry of Industry and Trade, many of these imported products are not yet produced domestically and therefore do not directly compete with local industries.

By late March 2026, Korean investors had registered nearly US$99 billion in Vietnam across approximately 10,450 active projects, accounting for more than 23% of the total number of projects and 18% of total registered foreign direct investment in the country.

Trade promotion and investment connectivity activities between the two business communities are aimed at advancing the shared goal of raising bilateral trade turnover to US$150 billion by 2030.

HCM City, Busan to set up virtual inter-sector working group

HCM City and Busan city of the Republic of Korea (RoK) are to establish a virtual inter-sector working group to bolster bilateral cooperation.