During the reviewed period, South Korean investors pumped US$5.58 billion into Vietnam, accounting for 34 per cent of total FDI registered in the country.
The two largest South Korea-invested projects were a $1.5 billion screen plant, being developed by LG Display Co and a $550 million camera modules plant, being financed by LG Innotek Co, both in the northern city of Hai Phong.
Meanwhile, investors from Singapore and Japan invested $1.84 billion and $1.7 billion, making up 11.2 per cent and 10.3 per cent of the nation's total FDI, respectively.
According to data, new FDI pledged in the country saw a modest yearly increase of 1.1 per cent to $11.17 billion in nine months while additional investment for existing projects plunged 14 per cent year-on-year to $5.27 billion.
In a brighter spot, FDI disbursement topped $11.02 billion, surging 12.4 per cent against the same period last year.
The processing and manufacturing sector continued to lure the lion's share of FDI with $12.15 billion, accounting for 74 per cent of the total registered funding. Real estate came next with $1 billion or 6.1 per cent while science and technology ranked third with $649 million or 4 per cent.
Top localities recording significant amount of FDI during the period included Hai Phong city with $2.74 billion; the capital city ($1.97 billion); southern provinces of Dong Nai and Binh Duong ($1.89 billion and $1.49 billion, respectively).
From January to September, foreign-invested enterprises posted an export turnover of $91.17 billion, up 7.4 per cent year-on-year and totaling 71.1 per cent of the country's export value while their imports witnessed a slight rise of 1 per cent to more than $74 billion.