By Diplomacy Journal Lee Kap-soo
U.S. Senators Tammy Duckworth and Andy Kim, currently visiting Korea, held a roundtable on August 19 with three leading Korean shipbuilders—Hanwha Ocean, HD Hyundai, and Samsung Heavy Industries—as well as officials from Korea’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Ministry of National Defense, Defense Acquisition Program Administration and Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy.
During the roundtable, Korean shipbuilders underscored both their strong commitment and proven capabilities to advance U.S.–Korea shipbuilding cooperation.
At the same time, they 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.
Senator Duckworth and Senator Kim 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 today’s meeting.
Senator Duckworth stated, “We have a significant shortfall in our auxiliary fleet, and what capacity we do have is breaking down and becoming increasingly expensive to fix-putting at risk our ability to transport servicemembers and suppliers in any crisis or conflict. It’s imperative we use all creative approaches to increase our capacity, and increasing American cooperation with our partners in South Korea is key to accomplishing this while also boosting both of our nations’ shipbuilding industries and workforces.”
Kim Hee-sang, Deputy Minister for Economic Affairs at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, who chaired the roundtable, emphasized that shipbuilding cooperation also 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.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs reaffirmed its commitment to working closely with relevant ministries and Korean shipbuilders to ensure that U.S.–Korea shipbuilding cooperation continues to deliver mutually beneficial, win–win outcomes.
