In case the epidemic persists for around four to five months, or even longer, manufacturing sectors with high dependence on input materials from China would be in trouble.

Supporting industries hold significant meaning in Vietnam’s efforts to restructure the economy and enhance national competitiveness, said Minister of Industry and Trade Tran Tuan Anh.

Samsung wants to change the purpose of the R&D Center or transfer the building and its related land-use rights to another party, in case of necessity.

Samsung would continue to increase investment in R&D and supporting industries in Vietnam and seeks more support from the Vietnamese government, said Lee Jae-young, vice chairman of Samsung.

Vietnamese press can contribute to Korean firms’ further success, said Editor-in-chief of the Economic and Urban newspaper Nguyen Minh Duc.

To ensure successful businesses, one must fully integrate and adapt to the local environment. In this regard, no one is better than South Korean investors in Vietnam, said Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc.

Around 50% of Samsung's smartphones and tablets are produced in Vietnam and exported to 128 countries and territories.

While the recent trade tensions have merely accelerated the movement of supply chains to Vietnam, they were not the trigger.

In Vietnam, three major mobile carriers Viettel, Vinaphone and Mobifone decided against using Huawei’s 5G technologies, with the latter two under the management of the Committee for State Capital Management (CSCM).