Korea has been sharing its technological expertise in intelligent transport systems (ITS) with its Asian neighbors. The Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport hosted an invitational workshop for high-ranking Vietnamese government officials from March 25 to 28. The ministry also ran the workshop for Malaysian officials earlier in March.

An ITS is a future-oriented smart transport infrastructure which optimizes transport facilities and eases traffic congestion. It uses real time transport information based on high-end information and communications technology (ICT) and automated electronic control systems.

The Vietnamese officials who participated in the workshop learned about public transport in Seoul and visited related public transport facilities, such as the Seoul Transport Operation & Information Service Center. They shared opinions on the current status of ITS in Korea and future plans to carry out ITS projects in Vietnam.

Workshop participants experienced how to use public transport in Seoul. Each of them used a T-money card, which they received from workshop organizers. T-money cards are used to get on and off buses or subways. The participants checked bus and subway arrival information on electronic signboards and saw how bus and subway fare systems are managed. They praised Korea’s fare management system and hoped that such a system could be introduced in Vietnam.



The land ministry ran the invitational workshop for Malaysian government officials earlier this March. At that time, Malaysian participants showed a favorable response to one-on-one business meetings with Korean ITS firms, where they were able to share in the technology, know-how and experiences of the Korean firms. For this reason, the ministry extended the proportion of one-on-one business meetings for the Vietnamese workshop.


ITS Korea, part of the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport, jointly supervised the workshop along with the Korea Trade-Investment Promotion Agency (KOTRA). ITS Korea said it would maintain its relationship with Vietnam and help Korean firms enter the market there, in order to share Korea’s ITS expertise with its Vietnamese counterparts. Last September, ITS Korea held a road show in Vietnam and agreed with leading Vietnamese ICT firm Financing and Promoting Technology (FPT) to continue exchanges and to cooperate with Korean firms. FPT currently provides ICT solutions in 46 Vietnamese cities.

To solve traffic congestion issues, the Vietnamese government is concentrating on modernizing its public transport and road system. It wants to build an ICT-focused infrastructure and establish transport control centers in three large cities: Hanoi, Danang and Ho Chi Minh City. Vietnam plans to invest USD 1.6 billion into its transportation infrastructure by 2015 and carry out ten major ITS projects starting this year.

By Yoon Sojung
Korea.net Staff Writer
arete@korea.kr