KT, Vietnam’s Viettel Group upgrade strategic partnership on AI strategy and transformation

KT CEO Kim Young-shub, right, and Viettel Group Chairman and CEO Tao Duc Thang, left, shake hands during a signing ceremony for a “Strategic Partnership 2.0” agreement between their companies at KT’s Gwanghwamun building in central Seoul on Aug. 11. [KT]

 
KT has signed a “Strategic Partnership 2.0” agreement with Vietnam’s state-run Viettel Group to help shape the country’s national AI strategy and speed up AI transformation (AX) across industries, the Korean telecom giant said Tuesday. 
 
Viettel Group, parent of Vietnam’s largest mobile operator, Viettel Telecom, serves 138 million customers in 11 countries across Southeast Asia and Africa. The signing ceremony took place on Monday at KT’s Gwanghwamun headquarters in central Seoul, with KT CEO Kim Young-shub and Viettel Chairman and CEO Tao Duc Thang in attendance. 
 
 
The agreement builds on the first partnership the companies signed in May, outlining concrete cooperation on joint projects and Viettel’s participation in Vietnam’s national AI strategy.  
 
The collaboration will focus on four areas: formulating a national AI strategy and developing industry-specific AX platforms, expanding AX business in Southeast Asia through global partnerships, enhancing AI-based cybersecurity and creating safe digital and AX environments and strengthening AX capabilities and investing in AI talent development.
 
The companies will jointly develop a “national general-purpose AI language model” tailored to Vietnam’s language, culture and administrative systems. They will also create vertical AX platforms optimized for key industries such as defense, media and health care, delivering AI solutions customized for on-site needs.
 
To boost AX capabilities and train AI specialists, KT and Viettel will establish a Global AX Innovation Center (G-AXC) to conduct R&D on the national AI language model and foster professional talent. They will also jointly research AI solutions that can analyze and block phishing crimes such as voice phishing and deepfakes in real time.
 
“The development of a national AI strategy and industry-specific AX platforms goes beyond providing technology — it is a meaningful collaboration that will help Vietnam secure future growth engines,” said Kim.
 
“The innovative platforms combining the technological strengths of both countries are expected to drive digital transformation across Vietnam’s industries,” said Tao.
 

This article was originally written in Korean and translated by a bilingual reporter with the help of generative AI tools. It was then edited by a native English-speaking editor. All AI-assisted translations are reviewed and refined by our newsroom staff.
BY PARK JONG-SUH [[email protected]]