HANOI, Dec. 26 (Xinhua) -- Vietnam has, since the beginning of this year, lured over 2.5 billion U.S. dollars worth of foreign direct investment (FDI) into its real estate sector, according to local newspaper Investment on Wednesday.

    Most of the FDI is poured into Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City, the newspaper quoted the Foreign Investment Agency under the Vietnamese Ministry of Planning and Investment as reporting.

    Hanoi has so far this year received FDI of over one billion dollars in construction of luxury hotels and trade centers. Major realty projects in the city are being developed by investors from South Korea, Japan and Malaysia.

    Vietnam is estimated to reap 20.3 billion dollars in total FDI in 2007, said the department.

    Vietnam attracted 107 FDI projects worth 735 million dollars in1990, 391 FDI projects totaling over 2.8 billion dollars in 2000, and 987 FDI projects valued at 12 billion dollars in 2006, according to the country's General Statistics Office.