A well-known Vietnamese pop singer has purportedly become the first artist in the world to launch his album in the form of a South Korean smart media card to better cope with rampant piracy, according to the Vietnamese company which has the exclusive right to the technology in Vietnam.

Dam Vinh Hung, dubbed “king of Vietnamese music,” introduced his latest album titled “Lam Sao Anh Biet?” (How Do I Know?) on Wednesday.

The album was made using South Korea’s Smart Media Card (SMC)/Kihno technology – completely different from the conventional CD or DVD.  

Music lovers can buy it at VND200,000 (US$10) to be able to enjoy 10 songs.

H&Dao Corporation, which is exclusively licensed to use the technology in Vietnam, and Hung both claimed that the singer is the first in the world to apply the technique for producing an album.

According to Hugh Dao, board chairman of H&Dao Corporation, the Southeast Asian country is also the first in the world to adopt the technology.

SMC/Kihno is expected to replace vinyl records and CDs and DVDs thanks to its compatibility with different kinds of mobile devices, including smartphones.

The smart card also helps curb piracy and illegal online music listening and downloading, as each can only be used on a certain device with a specific ID, Dao said.

He added that after the Vietnamese pop singer, his Korean, Taiwanese, and American colleagues will follow suit.

However, SMC/Kihno is currently compatible only with Android-powered handsets, which is a deterrent to users of other devices.

Hung, 43, who has taken home many local awards, was featured in a documentary series on Southeast Asian countries by Nine Entertain Television – one of Thailand’s leading entertainment channels – late last month.

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