Vietnam news in brief - June 23

Vietnam Innovation Day 2024 held in Belgium

The Vietnam Innovation Network in Europe hosted Vietnam Innovation Day 2024 on June 21 (local time) at the Vietnamese Embassy in Brussels, Belgium. Under the theme "Innovate to success", the event brought together Vietnamese experts, professionals and business leaders living in Europe to discuss the country's growth through the application of innovative solutions.

Vietnam Innovation Day 2024 featured three sessions on artificial intelligence and digital transformation, environment and renewable energy, and technology transfer and investment.

Lien Khuong airport upgraded to international status

Lien Khuong International Airport in Lam Dong Province. Photo: baolamdong.vn

Lien Khuong Airport in Duc Trong District, the Central Highlands province of Lam Dong was upgraded from local to international status today (June 23). The upgrade is expected to boost the socio-economic development of the province and other regions in the Central Highlands.

The airport is now capable of handling two million passengers a year. It is expected to serve five million passengers by 2030 and seven million by 2050, with international flights to be launched soon.

SK Group to pull out of Vietnamese investments

South Korean chaebol SK Group is considering selling its stakes in Vietnamese businesses to secure more than one trillion won (nearly US$720 million) in initial funding, the Maeil Business Newspaper reported. Under pressure to overhaul its business, the chaebol will shed non-mainstream investment assets to secure cash flow.

SK Group bought about $450 million worth of shares in Masan Group in 2018, and $1 billion worth of assets in Vingroup in 2019.

Vietnam and India forge joint film production

The International Torch Campaign for World Cinema was launched in Hanoi this week by the Jaipur International Film Festival of India and the Vietnam Film Association. The campaign highlights cinema as a cultural bridge in global integration, with Vietnam as the first destination outside India. It aims to reach 200 million people worldwide over the next 18 months.

According to Nguyen Phuong Hoa, Director of the Department of International Cooperation under the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism, the campaign is expected to boost the two nations' film industry.

Vietnam, Japan discuss ways to boost tourism ties

Japanese travel experts at a Vietnam-Japan tourism forum this week suggested that Vietnamese food vendors offer herb-free dishes and enhance food safety and public hygiene to draw more Japanese tourists to the country. They also recommended that each facility in Vietnam be equipped with a voltage stabilizer to allow tourists to use their own devices due to the voltage difference.

The event was co-hosted by Fuji Travel, the Vietnam Business Association in Japan (VJBA) and Vietnam Airlines.

Danang police bust betting ring during EURO 2024

Danang police have arrested 12 people involved in online football betting in Hai Chau district. According to police, the gang had been active since August 2023 and received $3 million per month from the betting house to operate. The total value of illegal transactions reached VND1 trillion (nearly $39,300,000).

Two other individuals in Ho Chi Minh City were also arrested for their involvement in the illegal betting operation.