From December 9–16, 2025, a delegation from the Co-operative Bank of Vietnam (Co-opBank) participated in the “Asian Credit Union Leaders (ACL) 2025” Program in Seoul and Jeju Island, South Korea. The program was jointly organized by the National Credit Union Federation of Korea (NACUFOK) and the Association of Asian Confederation of Credit Unions (ACCU).
Delegates Participating in the “Asian Credit Union Leaders (ACL) 2025” Program
The ACL 2025 Program is a specialized training and exchange initiative designed for managers and emerging leaders within the credit union system across Asia. Organized regularly through the collaboration of NACUFOK and ACCU, the program aims to strengthen experience sharing, enhance leadership capacity, and promote cooperation among credit union organizations throughout the region. Co-opBank’s participation in the program reaffirms the prominent role and standing of Vietnam’s People’s Credit Funds (PCFs) network within the international cooperative finance community. It also demonstrates the institution’s proactive commitment to international integration and its dedication to learning from global best practices in support of sustainable system development.
During the program, delegates gained comprehensive insight into the history, development, and core philosophy of the Korean credit union movement—one of Asia’s most representative cooperative finance models. Established in 1960 in the aftermath of war, during a period of significant national hardship, the Korean credit union movement played a vital role in providing people with access to safe sources of capital, protecting them from predatory lending, and contributing to socio-economic stability and community development. The training content emphasized a development philosophy built on three foundational values: Cooperation, Self-Reliance, and Sustainable Development. These principles are closely associated with the vision of the movement’s pioneers, including Sister Mary Gabriella and Father Dae-ik Jang, who firmly believed that education was the key driving force for progress. Guided by the principle “Created by ourselves—Together and moving forward,” this philosophy has served as a consistent compass for the sustainable development of the Korean credit union system for over six decades.
The program also placed strong emphasis on experiential learning, knowledge exchange, and field visits to the Korean Credit Union Central Training Institute on Jeju Island and the Seoul Happiness Credit Union—a model institution that exemplifies the harmonious integration of financial development and social responsibility. Through these activities, delegates gained a holistic perspective on a professional and modern training system closely aligned with career development pathways for credit union staff, as well as a people- and community-centered operational model. Beyond providing financial services, these institutions function as community hubs that support entrepreneurship and strengthen social cohesion, thereby building trust, enhancing competitiveness, and ensuring the sustainable development of the system amid increasing integration and competition with commercial banks.
Within the framework of the ACL 2025 Program, a Co-opBank representative delivered a presentation introducing the bank’s role, functions, and operating model within Vietnam’s PCFs network to international delegates. Co-opBank serves as the central bank of the PCFs network, performing capital intermediation functions, providing financial support and banking products and services, and participating in supervisory activities to ensure the safe and sound operation of PCFs under the mandate of the State Bank of Vietnam. Co-opBank’s operating model is designed to align with Vietnam’s specific conditions, harmoniously combining commercial banking functions with its mission to support the development of the cooperative financial system.
In addition, Co-opBank shared its key strategic priorities for the coming period, including strengthening off-site supervisory capacity through the application of information technology, accelerating digital transformation and modernization of technological infrastructure, and placing strong emphasis on enhancing the quality of training and capacity building for human resources across the PCFs network. The presentation generated significant interest and active discussion among NACUFOK representatives and international delegates, thereby contributing to enhanced mutual understanding, experience sharing, and the promotion of multilateral cooperation in the field of cooperative finance.
A Co-opBank representative delivered a presentation on the bank’s role, functions, and operating model within Vietnam’s PCF network at the program.
Through the program, the delegation gained valuable insights for the development of Vietnam’s PCFs network, notably the importance of maintaining a balanced approach between financial objectives and social mission, placing strong emphasis on investment in people and education, accelerating digitalization and the modernization of governance, and strengthening community engagement while promoting the core values of “Mutual Support and Cooperation” inherent in the credit union model.
At the conclusion of the program, participating delegates developed action plans to translate the knowledge and experience gained into practical initiatives tailored to the specific conditions of their respective countries and organizations. The 2025 ACL Program not only enhanced leadership capacity among credit union professionals across Asia, but also created opportunities for continued learning and experience sharing, advancing the common goal of building a cooperative financial system that is increasingly safe, effective, and sustainable.
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