2020 New Year's Meeting of the Joseon Marine Industry
Industry: "We Will Focus on Investment in Workforce Development and Self-Reliance"
Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy: "Role in Securing Future Competitiveness and Win-Win Development"
[Asia Economy Reporter Kim Bo-kyung] The government has decided to support the industry through the development of eco-friendly and autonomous ship technologies to establish South Korea as a 'shipbuilding powerhouse.'
According to the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy on the 9th, the 2020 New Year's Meeting of the shipbuilding and marine industry will be held this afternoon at Nurimaru in Busan. The event, co-hosted by 10 organizations related to shipbuilding and marine industries including the Korea Shipbuilding & Offshore Engineering Association, Korea Shipbuilding & Marine Equipment Association, and Korea Shipbuilding Cooperative, will be attended by over 100 representatives from industry, academia, and research sectors.
Key figures expected to attend include Yoo Jung-yeol, Director General of Industrial Policy at the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy; Lee Sung-geun, Chairman of the Korea Shipbuilding & Offshore Engineering Association; Ga Sam-hyun and Han Young-seok, CEOs of Hyundai Heavy Industries; and Park Sung-hoon, Deputy Mayor for Economic Affairs of Busan Metropolitan City.
Industry representatives evaluated last year as a challenging year, contrary to early expectations, due to the US-China trade dispute and a global decline in ship orders. However, they expressed optimism that the shipbuilding market will improve this year with large LNG project orders and the full implementation of the International Maritime Organization (IMO) environmental regulations.
The shipbuilding and marine industry pledged to actively invest in the future by fostering specialized talent and developing technologies in eco-friendly and autonomous ships, as well as achieving self-reliance in core equipment, to establish itself as the world's leading shipbuilding powerhouse.
They also resolved to secure stable orders by gaining trust from clients through cooperative labor-management relations and to create a safe workplace by adhering to fundamentals and principles.
Yoo Jung-yeol, Director General of the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy, encouraged the stakeholders by saying, "Despite difficult conditions last year, the shipbuilding and marine industry achieved significant results such as securing the world's number one order volume for two consecutive years and recovering employment to the 110,000 level."
He then presented tasks for South Korea's shipbuilding and marine industry to lead future markets and the world, expressing the government's strong support.
Yoo stated, "Securing future competitiveness in response to the paradigm shift towards eco-friendliness and smartization is the top priority. The government will support the industry through the development of autonomous ship and smart K-Yard technologies, as well as eco-friendly ship technologies."
He also emphasized the reorganization of the ecosystem and mutual growth to respond to the paradigm shift in the shipbuilding industry. Yoo said, "I hope the 'Shipbuilding and Marine Industry Development Council,' launched last year by large, medium, and small shipbuilders and equipment manufacturers to discuss mutual growth and future blueprints, will become a new model for mutual development in the shipbuilding and marine industry. The government will also fulfill its necessary role for mutual growth."
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