Textiles
Textiles & footwear — a sector where Korea is a major player, with scale employment and input openings
Korea is a major investor in Vietnamese textiles and footwear — from chemical fiber (Hyosung) to processing for global brands, creating scale jobs in the south.
Key conclusions
- 1Korea is a major investor in Vietnamese textiles/footwear — from Hyosung fiber to brand processing
- 2A scale-employment sector centered on the south
Impact on Korean companies — Downstream openings exist, but environmental regulation, wages and supply-chain realignment must be weighed.
Contents
A sector where Korea is a major player
Alongside electronics, textiles and footwear see very high Korean-firm density in Vietnam. Many plants processing apparel and footwear for global brands are in fact Korean-owned and operated.
Hyosung and chemical fiber
Hyosung anchors the fiber value chain with large investments in chemical fiber and industrial materials, notably in Dong Nai .
Brand processing and employment
Large processing plants concentrate in the south (Dong Nai , Binh Duong ), making this one of the largest Korean FDI sectors by employment in Vietnam.
What it means for Korean companies
There are downstream openings in raw materials, dyeing, components and equipment, but environmental regulation, rising wages and supply-chain realignment must be weighed. For provincial sites, see the entry map .
Opportunities
- Downstream supply of raw materials, dyeing, components and equipment
- JV and technical partnerships in chemical fiber and materials
- Co-entry with brand-processing volumes
Risks
- Environmental regulation (wastewater/dyeing) and rising wages
- Volume shifts from global-brand supply-chain realignment
Recommended actions
- Map brand vendors’ input and equipment needs
- Address environmental and certification requirements in advance
- Compare southern sites and wage structures
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Sources & methodology
This content is reference material reconstructed from public reporting and institutional information for a Korean-business audience; it is not investment or legal advice. Please verify through official channels such as KOTRA before making decisions.
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