Korean disaster-safety firms to target Vietnam's public procurement market

South Korea's Ministry of Interior and Safety announced Monday it will operate an integrated Korea pavilion at Secutech Vietnam 2026, a major trade fair running Wednesday through Saturday at the Hanoi Palace of Culture and Post, to help domestic disaster-safety companies expand into overseas markets.

The fair is Vietnam's largest B2B exhibition covering fire safety, disaster management, security and industrial safety. About 480 companies are expected to participate, with more than 16,000 buyers and visitors anticipated to attend.

This year's event is expected to open broader opportunities for Korean firms to enter Vietnam's public procurement market, as the venue has shifted from Ho Chi Minh City to Hanoi, bringing exhibitors into closer contact with Vietnam's central government and public institutions.

The ministry first operated an integrated Korea pavilion at Secutech Vietnam in 2025, supporting 25 domestic disaster-safety companies in their push into overseas markets and securing a purchase contract worth about 8.5 billion won ($6.27 million) for unmanned fire-suppression water cannon vehicles.

This year, 35 companies will participate in collaboration with local governments including Gyeonggi Province and South Chungcheong Province, as well as the Korea Fire Institute, showcasing advanced products and technologies such as AI-based disaster early-warning systems and specialized fire trucks to build a foothold in the Vietnamese market.

During the event, the ministry will also invite local buyers and investors to hold one-on-one business consultations with Korean companies, and will support MOU signings and contract closings tailored to each company's needs.

A briefing on Vietnam market entry strategies will be held for participating companies, featuring talks by firms already established in the local market and sharing insights on market characteristics and entry know-how. A newly introduced procurement and investment briefing will also showcase participating companies' technologies and products to local public institutions and business representatives.

Park Hyeong-bae, director general of the ministry's Safety Prevention Policy Bureau, said he hoped the pavilion would help introduce Korean disaster-safety companies' technologies and products to the Vietnamese government and public institutions, and serve as an opportunity to expand their entry into the public procurement market. "We will continue to strengthen support for enhancing the international competitiveness of Korea's disaster-safety industry and helping domestic companies advance into global markets," he added.