MOU signed with Gyeongsang Nat'l Univ. and Hai Phong for university·hospital

Gyeongsang National University (GNU; President Kwon Sun-ki) has signed a multilateral memorandum of understanding (MOU) on a joint venture intent to build a university campus and a university hospital in the Trang Cat urban development district of Hai Phong, Vietnam. The MOU signing took place at 5:30 p.m. on June 13 at Samcheonggak in Seoul, among the Hai Phong People's Committee (Party Secretary Le Tien Chau), Kinh Bac City Group of Vietnam (Chairman Dang Thanh Tam), STS Group (Chairman Kim Hyun-seok), and Gyeongsang National University (President Kwon Sun-ki). ▣ About the Participating Organizations Located in a key economic region of northern Vietnam, Hai Phong serves as a gateway connecting northern Vietnam, including the capital Hanoi. As an industrial and port city in northern Vietnam, it is one of the country's five centrally governed cities (Hanoi, Ho Chi Minh City, Hai Phong, Da Nang, and Can Tho). With a population of about 2.4 million as of 2022, it is Vietnam's third-largest city in terms of economic scale. Hai Phong has recently opened a new port and is becoming a hub for logistics and industry in northern Vietnam. The city is working to strengthen its administrative and cultural capacity in order to modernize its urban systems and provide better services to residents and visitors. Hai Phong is home to more than 100 Korean companies, including LG Electronics' 800,000㎥ Hai Phong campus. Korean companies are the largest investors in Hai Phong, and the Hai Phong People's Committee has established a dedicated support team for Korean businesses. Kinh Bac City Group (KBC) is a member of Saigon Invest Group, a leading Vietnamese company in industrial park development and urban and service infrastructure. It is a private enterprise that has successfully invested in more than 6,000ha of projects across Vietnam, contributing to economic and social development by creating numerous jobs. STS is a Korean company that has successfully carried out more than 80 development projects both domestically and abroad (including in China and Thailand). STS has achieved top-tier results, particularly in developing commercial facilities that create jobs and contribute to economic and social development. ▣ Key Terms of the Agreement Under the agreement, the Hai Phong People's Committee (HPC) agreed to provide the information needed on land-use planning, the investment environment, and investment promotion plans, and to support investors during research investment and other related project procedures in accordance with Vietnamese law. The project district covers an area of 700ha. KBC agreed to do its utmost to ensure the project's success, so that the area becomes a new center for Hai Phong equipped with diverse, high-quality public and private facilities, elevating the city's standing and providing better services. STS Group agreed to fully commit its experience and expertise to the project. In particular, STS will take on the task of inviting and establishing top-tier Korean universities and hospitals so that the project area can become a hub for Hai Phong's education and healthcare systems. STS will also ensure the area is equipped with a high-quality commercial and leisure district — including a shopping mall, canal-side street, artificial beach, and hotels and resorts — to provide high-level services to residents and visitors. Gyeongsang National University agreed to work toward establishing a university campus in the project area in order to provide an excellent education system and strengthen the friendly relationship between Korea and Vietnam. The university will enable Korean and Vietnamese students to study and conduct research together, and — as is done in Korea — will operate an industry-academia cooperation framework and an R&D center between universities and companies, so that businesses across Hai Phong and Vietnam can quickly acquire and learn new technologies and culture. At the signing ceremony, Dr. Ahn Seong-gi, director of Gyeongsang National University Hospital, also attended, and an MOU was signed among the Hai Phong People's Committee, KBC, STS Group, and Gyeongsang National University Hospital. GNU President Kwon Sun-ki said, "Hai Phong is home to numerous Korean companies such as LG, as well as leading domestic and international firms including VinFast, Vietnam's largest automaker, making it a region where future industry-academia R&D demand is expected to grow." He added, "We expect that this multilateral MOU to build a university and a university hospital in connection with the Trang Cat urban development project in Hai Phong will further enhance GNU's global capabilities."