The event marked Viet Nam’s 81st National Day (September 2) and the 34th anniversary of bilateral diplomatic relations.

It attracted more than 300 delegates, including leaders from North Gyeongsang province, Yeungnam University President Professor Choi Oe-chool, President of the Daegu Chamber of Commerce and Industry Park Yoon-kyung, representatives of leading businesses in the Daegu-Gyeongbuk region, as well as a large number of experts, scientists, intellectuals and Vietnamese students studying in the RoK.

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Delegates at VK Connect 2026 pose for a group photo.

In her opening remarks, Consul General Doan Phuong Lan said VK Connect was part of efforts to further expand and strengthen the community of Vietnamese intellectuals, scientists and students in southern RoK.

Its core objective is to pool the efforts and expertise of individuals into a shared resource for the two countries, supporting Viet Nam’s innovation drive while meeting the RoK’s demand for highly skilled talent in key areas such as semiconductors, artificial intelligence (AI), biomedicine, the environment and cultural exchanges.    

Professor Choi shared the research on rural development policies in Viet Nam and his deep impressions from field visits to Ninh Thuan province.

He said he would work closely with the Consulate General to ensure VK Connect goes beyond academic exchanges to become a sustainable platform for engagement between Vietnamese students and experts and academics, scientists, businesses and local governments in the RoK.

Applauding the forum’s focus on future-oriented industries such as AI, big data, semiconductors and biotechnology, Park pledged that Daegu would continue to serve as a strong bridge between the two countries through its representative offices in Hanoi, Ho Chi Minh City and Da Nang, promoting economic cooperation, business connections and human-resource development between Vietnam and the RoK.

At thematic sessions, more than 60 research topics were presented, covering information technology, AI, new materials, energy, semiconductors, automation, precision engineering, quantum technology, biomedicine and business administration.

As part of the event, a discussion on future career orientation was held for Vietnamese students studying in Busan, Daegu, Changwon and surrounding areas.

Source: VNA