In the past, foreign investors only eyed large private companies or SOEs which were under equitization. But now, they also can see opportunities from SMEs, according to VietnamNet Bridge. In this article, the website details the efforts of investors who have visited Vietnam with an interest in conducting business with SMEs.

Kim Ja Jum, deputy CEO of Kiwoom, the securities company with the largest brokerage market share in South Korea, visited Hanoi in early November to attend a forum on Vietnam-South Korea economic cooperation. He said his company would invest $25 million in one SME to hold a controlling stake. “We are targeting production companies, because there are two strategies being followed by South Korean companies – either buying materials in Vietnam and making products in South Korea to sell back to Vietnam, or setting up production bases in Vietnam to make products to sell in Vietnam and ASEAN countries,” he said.

Along with Kiwoom, 13 South Korean investment funds also visited Vietnam to seek investment opportunities.