SK Group Chairman Chey Tae-won Proposes ‘AI Forum’ in Vietnam, Plans Large-Scale ‘AI Factory’ Investment

【HANOI, Vietnam—Jun-seok Kim, Correspondent】SK Group Chairman Chey Tae-won proposed building a large-scale artificial intelligence (AI) data center in Vietnam under an “AI Factory” model. He also suggested hosting a “Hanoi Forum” to discuss development strategies for future industries, including AI and energy. The moves are seen as an effort to establish Vietnam as a key growth hub for the AI and energy industries while expanding cooperation with the Vietnamese government, academia, and businesses.
According to the National Assembly of Vietnam, Chey Tae-won made the remarks on the 8th during a meeting in Seoul with Tran Thanh Man, chairman of the National Assembly of Vietnam, who was visiting South Korea. They discussed economic cooperation between the two countries and ways to expand SK Group’s investment in Vietnam.
Chey Tae-won proposed holding the Hanoi Forum at an appropriate time, with academics and executives from major companies participating to discuss the development of future industries such as AI and energy. Given Vietnam’s high growth potential, he explained, the country needs to establish a clearer development stage and growth path for the future.
He emphasized that investment in energy and AI must serve as the foundation for stable yet rapid economic growth. Such investment, he said, could promote the development of Vietnam’s key industries and attract strategic investors.
Chey Tae-won also presented an investment plan to build a large-scale AI data center in Vietnam under the “AI Factory” model. SK Group is currently reviewing large-scale investment opportunities in Vietnam, focusing on areas such as energy infrastructure and AI data centers, where the group’s core capabilities align with the Vietnamese government’s industrial development priorities.
Tran Thanh Man praised SK Group’s investments to date, saying the group had achieved tangible results in economic cooperation between Vietnam and South Korea. He also noted that SK had expanded its role in strategic areas in Vietnam, including clean energy, advanced technology, digital transformation, and sustainable development.
Tran Thanh Man asked SK Group to further expand its investments in areas Vietnam has prioritized, including semiconductors, AI, innovation, renewable energy, and emissions reduction. He also called for cooperation in technology transfer and the training of highly skilled personnel.
In particular, Tran Thanh Man welcomed SK Group’s proposed project to build a large-scale AI data center. He assessed that the project aligned with Vietnam’s policies on science and technology, innovation, and digital transformation, as well as the country’s policy direction for attracting foreign investment.
He also expressed support for Chey Tae-won’s proposal to host the Hanoi Forum. Welcoming a forum focused on AI, semiconductors, energy, and advanced technology, he said he would instruct the relevant agencies to review the proposal and hold consultations.
Vietnam is positioning stable energy supplies and the use of AI as key growth engines as it pursues a goal of double-digit economic growth. Tran Thanh Man emphasized that securing energy was the most important factor for growth and that the use of AI would provide a breakthrough for economic development.
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