With the new facility, FPT Software is the first Vietnamese IT company to open an office in the Korean market, pinning high hopes on strengthening the company’s presence there and becoming a world-class, billion-dollar company. FPT chairman Truong Gia Binh spoke at the opening ceremony Addressing the opening ceremony, FPT Corporation chairman Truong Gia Binh said, "Our business philosophy is to stay closer to our customers, which could let us reach and serve our customers better. FPT will continuously open new offices around the world. FPT Software's second office in Korea helps us expand our global network further and strengthens our ability to connect and accompany customers despite time and geography." According to FPT Software Korea CEO Ha Minh Tuan, the new office is expected to address the shortage of IT talent in the country. “We also see strong demand for technology solutions such as AUTOSAR, IVI, SAP, low-code, managed services, and digital transformation. … [Read more...] about FPT Software opens new office in South Korea
2 week itinerary south korea
Small ship itineraries in Vietnam among best Southeast Asia cruises
The four itineraries were listed in an article published on March 11, by Heidi Sarna - the co-founder of QuirkyCruise.com, which is designed to share reviews and news about small-ship cruises around the world. According to Heidi Sarna, during the 10-day itinerary to explore the Red River and Ha Long Bay, a small ship covers several hundred miles between Ha Long Bay and Hoa Binh province in Northern Vietnam, spending a few days in the picturesque and otherworldly limestone karst–studded Ha Long Bay, which is the dramatic backdrop to films like Indochine (1992) and The Quiet American (2002). Except for a day in frenetic and fascinating Hanoi, which is notable for its colonial architecture, war heritage, and foodie culture, the rest of this route is spent on the Red River and its tributaries, which reach into the rural landscapes and small towns of Vietnam’s heartland. The author also revealed several rewarding ways to spend time off the ship, including village walks, kayaking in Ha … [Read more...] about Small ship itineraries in Vietnam among best Southeast Asia cruises
Japan’s SMBC acquires 15% stake in VPBank for US$1.5 billion
The agreement surpasses the VND20 trillion ($850 million) acquisition of a 15% stake in BIDV from KEB Hana Bank (South Korea) in 2019, setting a new record in the banking industry. VPBank announced that it has completed the sale of a 15% equity interest to Sumitomo Mitsui Banking Corp. of Japan, a member of Sumitomo Mitsui Financial Group, in a transaction valued at $1.5 billion. CEO of SMBC Masahiro Yoshimura and Chairman of the Board of Directors at VPBank Nguyen Chi Dung at the signing ceremony today. Photo: VPBank SMBC Group's latest deal with VPBank makes the former a new strategic investor in the latter. The agreement sets a new banking industry record, with a deal value of VND35.9 trillion ($1.5 billion), surpassing the VND20 trillion ($850 million) acquisition of a 15% stake in BIDV from South Korea's KEB Hana Bank in 2019. The investment is expected to increase VPBank's total capital from VND103.5 trillion ($4.4 billion) to around VND140 trillion … [Read more...] about Japan’s SMBC acquires 15% stake in VPBank for US$1.5 billion
Tourists to My Son Sanctuary surges
The number of tourists to a UNESCO-recognised My Son Sanctuary in the central province of Quang Nam has been on the rise, nearly equal to prior to the Covid-19 pandemic. According to the management board of My Son world cultural heritage site, the site has seen a monthly rise in travellers this year. Between January and March 20, My Son attracted 80,000 tourists, some 1,200 people visited the site daily before the pandemic. Tourists in My Son Besides South Korea, Japan and Europe, My Son has lured more tourists from markets such as Malaysia, Indonesia, Singapore and India. Visitors from India have sharply increased, accounting for 10 percent of the travellers to My Son. Phan Ho, director of the management board of My Son World Cultural Heritage Site, said that a goal of 180,000 tourists, including 130,000 foreigners had been set. Ho believed that this target would be fulfilled based on the return of foreign holidaymakers, especially those from South Korea and … [Read more...] about Tourists to My Son Sanctuary surges
Visa upgrade at heart of fresh approach to tourism
Visas, service quality, and technology were all part of discussions on a better-performing tourism sector Photo: Cuong Minh May’s National Assembly session is likely to help push ahead a revamp of the country’s rules on entry and exit for foreign visitors, after the Ministry of Public Security crafts amendments to the current law. The development will be an important basis for the issuance of new regulations related to the visa policy, removing difficulties for the tourism industry, and creating conditions to attract more international visitors this year, according to most observers. Dang Tuan Viet, deputy director of the Ministry of Public Secrutity’s (MoPS) Vietnam Immigration Department, said that the proposal emphasised two major areas related to unilateral visa exemption and electronic visa policy. The MoPS also proposes to expand the number of countries that can issue e-visas from 80 countries to the maximum. The MoPS will also ask to increase the temporary stay … [Read more...] about Visa upgrade at heart of fresh approach to tourism
More welcoming policies will rejuvenate tourism chances
International visitors come to Vietnam for tourism purposes, market surveys, and investment. They not only bring about revenue and profit for the aviation and tourism industries, but also are an important factor for economic recovery and development across the country. Bui Doan Ne - Deputy chairman, Vietnam Aviation Business Association With over 70 per cent of international visitors to Vietnam arriving by air, resuming international flight routes promptly will support aviation and tourism, enabling them to recover soon and increase their competitiveness. These are dynamic industries that contribute significantly to the country’s GDP growth and economic development. International tourism to Vietnam has recovered slowly compared to other regional countries due to tight regulations in other countries, particularly China. The conflict in Ukraine has increased fuel costs and travel restrictions to European markets. Difficult economic conditions have also affected … [Read more...] about More welcoming policies will rejuvenate tourism chances
Supporting policies needed to fast-track 5G commercialisation
How has 5G been piloted in Vietnam so far, and is the nation ready for commercialisation in 2023? Up to now, 5G in Vietnam is still in a trial process by Viettel, VNPT, and Mobifone in more than 40 cities and provinces. They are testing different frequency bands from low to mid-band and mmWave band. From the user side, the first experience of mobile broadband speed, is not too impressive for users because the current 4G speed is meeting the current needs of users in watching movies and television and so on, so the speeds of a few hundred Mb/s or even Gb/s that 5G brings is not a mass market requirement. Nguyen Phong Nha, deputy general director of the Ministry of Information and Communications’ Authority of Telecommunications For high-density or low-latency user cases, there have been no tests with impressive results and no clear demand from users. This is a reality not only in Vietnam but also in other countries when deploying 5G. The ability to provide … [Read more...] about Supporting policies needed to fast-track 5G commercialisation
Downward trend in FDI persists
Over 520 new projects were granted investment registration certificates in the same period with the total registered capital of over $3 billion, down 5.9 per cent on-year. The adjusted capital of almost 230 ongoing projects stood at about $1.2 billion, down 70 per cent on-year. There were approximately 600 capital contributions and share purchases as of March 20, equivalent to $1.25 billion, showing a decrease of over 23 per cent for the same period last year. In addition to the decrease in FDI, the country's disbursed capital also saw a slight decline of 2.2 per cent to $4.3 billion. The FIA census also indicated that FDI was seen in 17 out of the 21 economic sectors in the first quarter. Of those, processing and manufacturing took the lead with $4 billion, capturing 73 per cent of total FDI, but saw a 25 per cent drop compared to the same period in 2022. Real estate ranked second with $766 million, making up 14 per cent of the total, but witnessed a decrease of over 71 per cent … [Read more...] about Downward trend in FDI persists
Drought killing Mekong Delta durian with salt
Tran Van Thu, a local in Chau Thanh District’s Tien Long Commune, measured the salinity level in the Ba Lai and Ham Luong rivers last week. Both are tributaries of the Tien River, a branch of the Mekong River in Vietnam, which runs through Ben Tre and feeds much of the delta province’s fruit, vegetable and rice crops. Tran Van Thu holds a tool that read the salinity level in a river in Chau Thanh District, Ben Tre Province at 0.34 ppt, March 2023. Photo by VnExpress/Hoang Nam According to Thu, each of the two rivers that surround his 6,000-square-meter durian farm carried salinity levels of 0.34 (ppt). This was devastating news as his durians need fresh water with salinity levels of less than 0.2 ppt. "Every day, the river water only stays within the safe levels for about an hour, so I have to take every chance I can get [to get fresh water to the farm]." Thu’s family used to cultivate rambutan for a living, but after losing the entire farm to drought and salt … [Read more...] about Drought killing Mekong Delta durian with salt