Vietnam may be perceived by some as a tourist destination such as Da Nang or Ha Long Bay, a product manufacturing factory, or an IT outsourcing and software development center. Although the geographical distance between Vietnam and Korea is quite far, the emotional distance is close. Korean tourists abound in travel destinations such as Da Nang, Hanoi, Ho Chi Minh, Nha Trang, and Dalat. Due to this fact, I have met people who are concerned, “Aren’t we spending too much money in Vietnam?” However, if you look a little closer, Vietnam is the country that brings the greatest benefit to Korea. ‘Did you know that Korea’s largest trade surplus in 2022 was Vietnam? Korea's exports to Vietnam amounted to $60.98 billion and imports amounted to $26.72 billion, resulting in a trade surplus of $34.25 billion (about 43 trillion won). 

The relationship between Korea and Vietnam is a “comprehensive strategic partnership,” which is the highest level between countries. 'As of 2020, the number of Korean corporations registered in Hanoi, Ho Chi Minh City, and Da Nang exceeds 3,200, and based on investment, Samsung Electronics has a cumulative investment of $17.9 billion, LG Electronics $7.1 billion, Hyosung $2.3 billion, and Lotte $2.2 billion. direct investment was made. The number of employees at Samsung Electronics Vietnam is 110,000, and 6 out of 10 mobile phones sold by Samsung in the global market are made in Vietnam.

The advantage of IT is that a business can be developed through intangible software, as long as a developer is needed, without investing in physical facilities such as a factory. Developers, that is, people, are everything. “(3) Vietnamese IT Developers: Comprehensive Analysis” sufficiently explained the size and capabilities of Vietnam’s developers. 

In this article, I will talk about how Vietnamese developers can collaborate with Korean developers. Although the front-end, back-end, mobile, and client programming technologies used by Vietnamese and Korean developers are largely the same, communication is necessary to share planning, analysis, and design for services and create desired results. In other words, a communicator who can connect developers from both countries is needed, and there are many talented people in Vietnam who can speak Korean. This is because top students flock to the Korean language departments at major Vietnamese universities, which provide many opportunities after graduation. 

According to data analyzing the entrance exam results of famous Vietnamese universities for the 2023-24 academic year recently released by the Korean Embassy in Vietnam, the passing score for the Korean Language Department at Hanoi University was 36.15 points out of 40, ranking first among 25 departments. If you can speak Korean, students will have job opportunities at conglomerates such as Samsung Electronics, LG Electronics, Lotte, and Hyosung, as well as digital companies that Naver, Nexon, and Smilegate. There are 42 universities with Korean studies or Korean language departments in Vietnam nationwide, including 42 four-year institutions. It is estimated that there are about 60 places with 25,000 majors.

 In addition, I believe that children of Korean Vietnamese families who understand language and culture together can play a role in the win-win development of both countries. Currently, the number of Korean-Vietnamese families is said to be over 2,200 in the northern region and over 4,000 in the southern region, with at least 13,000 children. There are quite a few cases where children of Korean-Vietnamese families graduate from college and find jobs in Vietnam. Because they are fluent in Korean and Vietnamese, they can perform not only the role of communicator, but also professional roles such as HR and finance, and roles such as project managers.

However, for IT cooperation, beyond Korean-Vietnamese interpretation, human resources are needed with an understanding of IT-related terminology and software development concepts and an understanding of project management. As Vietnam's IT outsourcing industry developed, the role of IT Comtor was naturally created. IT Comtor refers to an interpreter who works for an information technology company. Exchanges information between the project team and the client, facilitates communication and acts as a bridge to meet the cultural and other needs of both parties. Communicate directly with technical engineers, project department managers, or business contacts. Additionally, they play an important role in project progress because they communicate effectively with stakeholders and the IT team throughout the project life cycle and are familiar with IT-related terminology and software development concepts.

In addition, a project manager is needed who has the ability to check the status of the project progress, find issues, and solve problems. There may be a case where there is a project manager in Korea and the Vietnamese team only develops according to the specified specifications, or there may be cases where the Vietnamese team acts as a project manager for products and services in Vietnam and develops according to the specifications. It will vary depending on the circumstances of each company.

By explaining Vietnam's IT industry, IT developers, and the game industry, I aimed to provide insight into the current state of Vietnam's IT market and areas where collaboration is possible. Once you have found an area to collaborate in IT, it is essential to understand how to collaborate successfully. If the bridge connecting the Korean and Vietnamese development organizations, the IT Comtor/Coordinator and the Project Manager work together, I think IT collaboration with Vietnam can have great results. As a result, Korea will be able to reduce costs and acquire outstanding talent in the software field, while Vietnam will be able to create high-paying jobs and secure diverse development experiences nationally in the long term. I hope that through mutual win-win cooperation, Korea and Vietnam will build a sustainable and strong cooperative relationship and create a bright and growing future together.

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