Korea, Vietnam to boost postal ties

Korea Post President Kim Joon-ho, left, poses with the Vietnam’s National Post Office President Pham Anh Tuan after signing a memorandum of understanding in the Vietnamese city of Hanoi, Tuesday, to expand their partnership. / Courtesy of Korea Post

By Kim Yoo-chul

Korea Post said Tuesday that it has agreed with the National Post Office in Vietnam to expand its business partnership and make forays into the country.

In a statement, the organization under the Ministry of Science, ICT and Future Planning (MSIP) said it has signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) with the Vietnamese postal agency.

Under the agreement, the two parties will run exchange programs to send experts in postal service operations to each country, while seeking to find customized solutions to vitalize e-delivery service.

Expanding educational programs in the postal service area is also included, the statement said.

“The MOU will also help Korean IT postal companies advance the southern Asian country. The National Post Office in Vietnam is investing to build up advanced postal information technology systems. The agreement will be helpful,” Korea Post spokesman Kim Sun-gang said.

Korea Post said that Vietnam is emerging as a “hotbed” for foreign companies as they aim to expand their presence in the country, which was fully opened to foreigners a year ago.

“Foreign companies are already cooperating with Vietnamese postal agencies, setting up agents that collect and deliver goods. They have been carrying out a lot of activities to implement their plan to make long-term investments in Vietnam,” the spokesman said.

Major Korean technology companies including Samsung and LG Electronics are heavily increasing investments in Vietnam as they are shifting their manufacturing base in smartphones and home appliances to the country because of lower labor costs and full administrative support from the Vietnamese government.