Da Nang People’s Committee Vice Chairman Ho Ky Minh hosted a reception on Saturday for a group of businesspeople from the Association for Small-and Medium-sized Enterprises (SMEs) in South Korea’s Daejeon - Sejong - Chungnam region.

Da Nang People's Committee Vice Chairman Ho Ky Minh (right) presents a souvenir gift to Mr. Sanghyun Kim, Chairman of the Association for Small-and Medium-sized Enterprises (SMEs) in South Korea’s Daejeon - Sejong - Chungnam region. Photo: THANH LAN - VAN HOANG

Vice Chairman Minh briefed his South Korean guests on the city’s socio-economic development and investment opportunities. Accordingly, Da Nang has been focusing on developing key fields: tourism, information technology, and high-tech industry. The city has welcomed many tourists and investors from ‘the land of kimchi’ to seek job and business opportunities in Da Nang.

He expressed his hope that the Association for SMEs in the Daejeon - Sejong - Chungnam region will continue promoting the friendship, cooperation, mutual trust and goodwill between Da Nang and Daegu in the coming time.

The city's GRDP in 2022 rose by 14.05% compared to 2021, ranking third in the country in terms of economic growth. The scale of GRDP in 2022 grew by 5.5% compared to 2019 (before COVID-19).

The city’s export turnover of goods in 2022 was estimated at US$ 2,071 million, up 15.8% against 2021; whilst its import turnover was estimated at US$1,694 million, up 27.4% compared to 2021.

Last year, the municipal government granted 42 new FDI projects with a total registered investment capital of US$69.356 million. Accumulated up to now, the city has had 946 valid FDI projects with a total investment capital of over US$4.063 billion.

Mr. Sanghyun Kim, Chairman of the Association for Small-and Medium-sized Enterprises (SMEs) in South Korea’s Daejeon - Sejong - Chungnam region (left), gives a gift to Da Nang People's Committee Vice Chairman Ho Ky Minh. Photo: THANH LAN - VAN HOANG

Da Nang was honoured with the Viet Nam Smart City Award 2022 in the category of ‘Attractive City for Innovative Startup’. Foreign affairs and international cooperation activities were busier after two years of being affected by COVID-19. Till date, the central coastal city has established friendly cooperative relations with 47 provinces and cities of 22 countries around the world.

Statistics show that the total number of guests at local accommodation establishments in 2022 reached 3.69 million. Da Nang was ranked highest according to the Viet Nam Provincial Tourism Destination Competitiveness Index (VTCI), ranked third in the top 10 leading tourist cities in Southeast Asia according to Asia Travel Awards 2022 and was honored as ‘Asia's Leading Festival and Event Destination’ in 2022.

In reply, Mr. Sanghyun Kim, Chairman of the Association for SMEs in the Daejeon - Sejong - Chungnam region thanked the city leader for his warm welcome, hoping that his association will have a chance to meet with business associations in the city to learn about investment and business opportunities in the future.

He noted that many members of the association have been planning to invest in Da Nang. Therefore, he asked for support from the municipal government to facilitate SMEs in the South Korean region to seek more investment and cooperation opportunities in the city in the coming time.

Leaders of Da Nang and the Association for Small-and Medium-sized Enterprises (SMEs) in South Korea’s Daejeon - Sejong - Chungnam region pose for a group photo.

It is known that the Daejeon - Sejong - Chungnam Regional SMEs’ Association has nearly 500 member businesses operating in many fields. With a history of more than 32 years, it is one of the 13 major associations in South Korea.

As of late 2022, the city attracted a total of 256 South Korean-invested projects totalling US$358 million. South Korea was ranked 5^th in terms of the total registered investment capital channeled into the city among 45 countries and territories investing in Da Nang.

In 2022, the city’s export turnover to South Korea was estimated at US$50 million, whilst the import turnover from South Korea to Da Nang generated US$78 million.

Da Nang welcomed 385,768 travellers from South Korea, accounting for 45.74% of the total number of international visitors to Da Nang and 50.15% of the total number of South Korean visitors to Viet Nam.

Reporting by T.LAN, V.HOANG - Translating by M.DUNG