At a working session with a delegation from the Viet Nam–Korea Business and Investment Association (VKBIA) led by its Chairman Tran Hai Linh on April 25, Nam praised the association’s role as a vital bridge linking the city with Korean partners. He reaffirmed the city’s readiness to facilitate VKBIA member enterprises in exploring and expanding investment.

The official noted that Can Tho’s expanded development space, incorporating areas of the former provinces of Can Tho, Soc Trang and Hau Giang, now has a population exceeding 4.2 million. This transformation positions the city as a key growth engine of the Mekong Delta, benefiting from strategic access to major river mouths and a 72-kilometre coastline.

The new development space offers strong advantages in high-quality agriculture and logistics. Brackish-water shrimp exports reach an estimated 1.3 billion USD annually, accounting for about 25% of the country’s total, while premium rice varieties such as ST25 rice and a one-million-hectare rice zone further enhance competitiveness. Notably, the Tran De deep-water port project has been designated as a special port and regional maritime gateway, opening up significant opportunities for Korean investors in port infrastructure and logistics.

Can Tho is also positioning itself as a regional hub for healthcare and education, focusing on workforce development to meet the needs of industrial parks and high-tech zones. The city has recorded positive outcomes from projects supported by the Korean Government through the Korea International Cooperation Agency (KOICA), including an industrial technology incubator and agricultural mechanisation initiatives, which are seen as models for further expansion.

In tourism, the city’s expanded geography offers a richer mix of river-based floating market experiences and cultural, spiritual and culinary tourism. Authorities are seeking cooperation with the VKBIA to restore direct air routes and develop tourism products to attract Korean visitors and investors.

Nam expressed confidence that the VKBIA’s extensive network will help translate discussions into concrete projects, contributing to Can Tho’s sustainable growth in the coming period. The city pledged continued support and timely resolution of challenges to ensure long-term investment confidence among Korean businesses.

For his part, Linh said that since its establishment in 2019, the VKBIA has brought together not only Vietnamese enterprises in the RoK but also major Korean corporations, international investment funds, and a strong network of experts and intellectuals. One of its key achievements was launching the first direct flight between Incheon and Can Tho, facilitating trade and tourism.

The association has also worked closely with the Can Tho Investment, Trade and Exhibition Promotion Centre to promote business connectivity and support Mekong Delta localities in showcasing products at international fairs in the RoK.

Highlighting its strengths, Linh noted that the VKBIA can mobilise a network of nearly 1,000 professors and PhDs from the Vietnamese intellectual community in Korea to support high-quality human resource training, seen as a key factor in attracting major technology investors.

He proposed expanding cooperation in strategic sectors such as semiconductor manufacturing, artificial intelligence, digital transformation, and green and renewable energy, while seeking to renew and upgrade cooperation agreements with the city to a more comprehensive and sustainable strategic level.