South Korea and the United States have strengthened their shipbuilding co-operation with the inauguration of the Korea-US Shipbuilding Partnership Center (KUSPC) in Washington, D.C, alongside the signing of 15 memoranda of understanding (MOUs) aimed at revitalising the US shipbuilding industry and expanding Korean investment.
The opening ceremony was led by South Korean Minister of Trade, Industry and Resources Jung-kwan Kim and US Secretary of Commerce Howard Lutnick.
The launch of the KUSPC comes just over two months after both governments signed an MOU establishing the Korea-US Shipbuilding Partnership Initiative (KUSPI), a platform designed to deepen the bilateral ties in commercial shipbuilding, workforce development, industrial modernisation, and maritime manufacturing investment.
Around 130 government officials, lawmakers, military representatives, and industry executives from both countries attended the event.
SoKor ‘committed’ to help US
Speaking at the inauguration, Kim described the KUSPC as “a unique platform for shipbuilding co-operation and a symbol of Korea’s firm commitment to helping rebuild the US shipbuilding industry”.
He said the centre would bring Korea’s world-class shipbuilding technologies to shipyards on both the US East and West coasts and accelerate the planned US$150 billion investment in the sector.
Kim also urged the US government to support the initiative through a steady pipeline of shipbuilding orders, investment incentives, and regulatory relief to help ensure the success of Korean companies expanding into the US market.
Meanwhile, Defence Acquisition Program Administration (DAPA) Director General for International Co-operation Kim Tae-gon and DAPA Minister Lee Yong-cheol pledged to identify new opportunities for bilateral co-operation on naval vessels and support Korean companies seeking to enter US shipbuilding and defence supply chains.
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15 MOUs deepen Korea-US shipbuilding ties
During the ceremony, 15 agreements were signed in the presence of the two ministers to strengthen the US shipbuilding industry while supporting Korean investment in the country.
The MOUs cover four key areas: the formation of “Team Korea”, supply chain co-operation, workforce development, and joint research and development (R&D).
According to South Korea’s Ministry of Trade, Industry and Resources (MOTIR), six Korean organisations – HD Hyundai Heavy Industries, Hanwha Ocean, Samsung Heavy Industries, the Korea Offshore & Shipbuilding Association (KOSHIPA), the Korea Research Institute of Ships & Ocean Engineering (KRISO), and KUSPC – formed “Team Korea” to modernise US shipyards, strengthen local supplier networks, and support Korean companies seeking to enter the US market.
The agreements also include partnerships to advance digital shipbuilding technologies, maintenance, repair and overhaul (MRO), port modernisation, and workforce development through training initiatives and technical certification programmes.
MOTIR also announced a five-year joint Korea-US shipbuilding R&D programme worth KRW120 billion (approximately US$80 million), supporting collaborative projects in artificial intelligence, robotics, autonomous navigation, advanced welding, and other next-generation maritime technologies.
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