President Yoon Suk Yeol concluded his state visit to Vietnam on Saturday morning with a visit to the Samsung Electronics R&D Center in Hanoi.

During a meeting with young employees, he highlighted the importance of the digital partnership between Korea and Vietnam. He pledged to support collaborative research efforts between the two nations, aiming to generate value by combining the technological strengths of both Korea and Vietnam.

The meeting was attended by Samsung Electronics Chairman Lee Jae-yong, R&D center employees, Korean digital companies with a presence in Vietnam, Vietnamese digital companies with a presence in Korea, as well as young workers in the industry from both Korea and Vietnam.

During his opening speech at the meeting, Yoon stated, "As all of you know, now is the era of digital advancement that seeks to take a step towards artificial intelligence, following the development of semiconductor chips, information technology, and computer networks."

He emphasized that the exchange of ideas and the joint exploration of advanced scientific technologies among young people from both nations would be crucial in building a stronger future for both countries.

Before the meeting with employees, Yoon visited the booths of Vietnam's VKIST, an institute whose establishment was supported by Korea, Korea IT School, which nurtures software talents in Vietnam, and KH Vatec, a leading global company specializing in hinge parts for foldable phones.

VKIST, a science and technology research institute in Vietnam modeled after Korea Institute of Science and Technology, showcased the outcomes of collaborative research between KIST and VKIST. Among the notable demonstrations was a "universal self-driving robot."

Korea IT School is a program aimed at fostering software education among Vietnamese youth and facilitating the recruitment of talented individuals by local Korean companies. Since 2019, the program has trained 208 individuals, with 172 of them securing internships at local Korean companies.

With a market share of approximately 80 percent in the global foldable hinge sector, KH Vatec employs approximately 9,000 local workers in Vietnam.