Gangwon has a population of approximately 1.5 million and is making rapid breakthroughs following its designation as a Special Self-Governing State with significant legislative autonomy. Alongside its central role in four-season ecotourism and the sports economy, the locality is currently a pioneer in driving South Korea's green economy. The province has fully harnessed its natural cold-water resources to operate a massive eco-friendly data center cluster known as K-Cloud Park, thereby shaping a cutting-edge high-tech and knowledge industry ecosystem that includes cloud computing, eco-friendly big data, biomedicine, digital medical devices, smart agriculture, and green hydrogen energy.
The signing ceremony of the Memorandum of Understanding on establishing friendly and cooperative relations between Ho Chi Minh City and Gangwon Province (Republic of Korea) in 2017. - Photo: Quân đội Nhân dân News.
The cooperative achievements between the two localities are highlighted by robust cultural exchanges and active trade promotion. Both sides regularly exchange high-level delegations to realize commitments, exemplified by a series of events at the Ho Chi Minh City Friendship Dialogue aimed at connecting agricultural supply chains and sharing solutions for ecological resource conservation. In particular, Gangwon's experience in operating a Special Self-Governing State and attracting green technology infrastructure provides highly practical solutions for Ho Chi Minh City's efforts to shape its new growth drivers.
Looking toward the future, particularly within the framework of the 3rd Ho Chi Minh City Friendship Dialogue in 2026 (FD 2026), the City is widening its corridors to welcome Gangwon enterprises and investors to foster cooperation in five priority sectors:
1. High-Quality Tourism and Sports Economy: Transferring operational experience in green ecotourism and resort models, developing four-season tourism infrastructure, and organizing international-scale events.
2. Biomedicine and Smart Medical Devices: Attracting investment into digital medical technology and smart healthcare devices within high-tech zones.
3. High-Tech Agriculture and Food Processing: Collaborating on the development of clean agricultural networks, smart farming, and post-harvest preservation technologies.
4. Special Zone Governance Experience: Exchanging legislative solutions and the implementation of specific mechanisms to optimize resources for megacity development.
5. Cultural Exchange and Content Industry: Partnering in the production of cultural and artistic content, leveraging this to deepen people-to-people diplomacy and boost two-way tourism.