Shippingtelegraph: South Korea Gov meets US senators to bolster shipbuilding cooperation

by Shipping Telegraph

South Korea’s minister of trade, industry and energy Kim Jung-kwan met with U.S. senators in Seoul on August 19 to discuss ways to bolster bilateral cooperation and expand investment in shipbuilding and other industries.

In the meeting with senators of the democratic party Tammy Duckworth of Illinois and Andrew Kim of New Jersey, the Korean minister Kim requested unwavering attention and support for Korean companies that have established operations in both states, and throughout the U.S.

Industry minister Kim expressed hope that the US Congress would support diversifying bilateral shipbuilding cooperation from merchant ships to naval vessels.

He cited Hanwha Philly Shipyard near New Jersey as an example of shipbuilding cooperation between the two countries, noting the collaboration between the Korean shipbuilder and the state in sourcing qualified professionals and rebuilding the shipbuilding ecosystem.

Seoul will be a “reliable” partner with “world-class” shipbuilding capabilities and technologies for Washington, the minister stressed.

U.S. senators Tammy Duckworth and Andy Kim, currently visiting Korea, held a roundtable on August 19 with three Korean shipbuilders, Hanwha Ocean, HD Hyundai, and Samsung Heavy Industries, according to the S. Korean ministry of foreign affairs.

During the roundtable, the Korean shipbuilders emphasized the need for regulatory reforms in the United States to facilitate their successful access to the U.S., proposing measures for strengthening bilateral cooperation.

They also expressed readiness to expand technology and workforce exchanges with U.S. counterparts, contributing to innovation in shipbuilding technologies and the training of skilled personnel in the United States.

In response, the senators emphasized that the revitalization of the U.S. shipbuilding industry is emerging as a national security issue in the United States, highlighting strong interest in U.S.-Korea shipbuilding cooperation as an essential part of this effort.

They stated that “congressional legislative support” will be crucial to ensuring the success of such cooperation and affirmed their commitment to actively review the requests raised by Korean shipbuilders during the meeting.

Kim Hee-sang, deputy minister for economic affairs at the ministry of foreign affairs, who chaired the roundtable, emphasized that shipbuilding cooperation played an important role in the recent Korea-U.S. tariff negotiations.

He stressed that this reflected both countries’ recognition of the capability of Korean shipbuilders to contribute meaningfully to the revitalization of the U.S. shipbuilding sector.

He requested the senators to make legislative efforts, including easing U.S. regulatory barriers, to further advance bilateral cooperation.