Samsung Electronics Chairman Lee Jae-yong, third from right, and Vietnamese Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh, third from left, attend the completion ceremony of Samsung Electronics' R&D center in Hanoi, Friday. Courtesy of Samsung Electronics

Chairman Lee Jae-yong joins ceremony in Hanoi

By Baek Byung-yeul

Samsung Electronics completed the construction of its research and development center in Hanoi, Vietnam, Friday. Chairman Lee Jae-yong, who participated in the ceremony, said the newly built center will play a pivotal role both in strengthening Vietnam's industrial competitiveness and bolstering ties between Korea and the Southeast Asian nation.

Samsung began constructing the R&D center in March 2020, expecting its Vietnamese branch to engage in manufacturing as well as research activities.

The company invested $220 million in building the center, which it said is the first large-scale comprehensive research site set up by a global company in Vietnam. The center occupies 11,603 square meters of land, with three basement floors and 16 floors aboveground, and a total floor area of 79,511 square meters.

"Around 2,200 researchers will work at the center and they will conduct research on smart devices, network technologies and software," the company said.

Samsung Electronics Chairman Lee Jae-yong, second from right, inspects the company's smartphone manufacturing plant near Hanoi, Vietnam, Thursday. Courtesy of Samsung Electronics

Samsung said it held the completion ceremony for the R&D center on Dec. 23 to mark the 30th anniversary of diplomatic ties between Korea and Vietnam. The two countries established diplomatic relations on Dec. 22, 1992.

"The Samsung R&D center in Vietnam will contribute not only to strengthening Vietnam's industrial competitiveness but also to promoting friendly cooperation between Korea and Vietnam," Chairman Lee said during the ceremony.

On the sidelines of the ceremony, Lee also visited Samsung's smartphone factory and display factory near Hanoi, Thursday.

During the visit, Lee inspected the manufacturing facilities and checked the plants' medium- to long-term management plans while encouraging employees there, Samsung said.

Samsung Electronics Chairman Lee Jae-yong, right, inspects Samsung Display's display manufacturing plant near Hanoi, Vietnam, Thursday. Courtesy of Samsung Electronics

Vietnam has played a pivotal role for Samsung's business activities in Southeast Asia, as it has been over three decades since Korea's largest conglomerate entered the Vietnamese market.

Samsung Group first entered Vietnam in 1989 when Samsung C&T established a trading office in Hanoi. In 1995, Samsung Electronics also set up its branch in Ho Chi Minh City to produce and sell TVs.

The group is currently producing smartphones, mobile devices, network equipment, TVs, displays and batteries there. Samsung has provided software and job skill training programs to young people in Vietnam and has performed other corporate social responsibility activities.