According to the Foreign Investment Agency (FIA), approximately US$4.6 billion in foreign direct investment (FDI) has been disbursed over the past five months, demonstrating a year-on-year increase of 0.4%. As of May 20, Vietnam approved 667 FDI projects capitalised at US$5.5 billion; of the total 500 are newly licensed projects worth US$3.7 billion, equivalent to 83% of the same period last year. The processing and manufacturing industries took the lead, attracting US$3.9 billion from 254 projects. They were followed by the construction sector (US$463.2 million from 49 projects), and the real estate sector ((US$399.3 million from 9 projects). Since the beginning of this year, 38 countries and territories have poured investment into Vietnam. The Republic of Korea tops the list with US$1.3 billion, accounting for 24% of total investment capital in Vietnam. Then came Hong Kong (US$629.9 million), Japan (US$588.6 million) and Singapore (US$513.4 million). Binh Duong province attracted the largest FDI investment (US$813.59 million), followed by Ho Chi Minh City (US$775.62 million) and Dong Nai (US$579.74 million). In the reviewed period, the foreign invested sector enjoyed a trade surplus of US$4.46 billion. VOV