HD Hyundai "Will Support Strengthening the US Defense and Shipbuilding Industry Base"

Attending the Hudson Institute Discussion Program
Presenting Plans and Vision for Strengthening U.S. Shipbuilding Capabilities

HD Hyundai attended a discussion program related to the restoration of U.S. shipbuilding capabilities and expressed its willingness to cooperate with the United States.

On the 19th (local time), HD Hyundai announced at a forum held at the Hudson Institute in Washington D.C., titled "Righting the Ship: Strengthening US Navy Shipbuilding and Ship Repair," that it would support maritime security threats in the region through cooperation in U.S. Navy shipbuilding and MRO. It also stated that in the short term, it would support strengthening the U.S. Navy's Indo-Pacific readiness, and in the long term, it would support the reinforcement of the U.S. shipbuilding industry base.

In February last year, Jung Ki-sun, Senior Vice Chairman of HD Hyundai, introduced the HD Hyundai Heavy Industries special shipyard and the warships under construction to Carlos Del Toro, U.S. Secretary of the Navy. Photo by HD Hyundai Heavy Industries

At the forum, HD Hyundai also introduced its prepared capabilities related to new shipbuilding and maintenance (MRO) to support the U.S. Navy. It added that through ongoing exchange and cooperation programs with U.S. universities and reviewing investment opportunities, it aims to contribute to strengthening the industrial base and creating jobs in the U.S. in the long term.

Jihoon Kim, Head of the Special Ship Division at HD Hyundai Heavy Industries, said on the day, "As one of the world's top shipbuilders, we can cooperate with the U.S. to provide greater capabilities and sustainability in shipbuilding and repair," adding, "We can also consider creative methods such as cooperating in building naval support ships based on commercial vessels."

HD Hyundai further stated, "Until the U.S. shipbuilding industry base is strengthened, there will be ways Korea can contribute through cooperation between the industries of both countries regarding the immediate force needs of the U.S. Navy." It went on to foresee that "by fostering shipbuilding programs utilizing Korean shipyards through cooperation between the South Korean and U.S. governments and then transferring these to U.S. shipyards, the U.S. shipbuilding capabilities can be enhanced."

The forum was moderated by Mike Roberts, Senior Fellow at the Hudson Institute. Panelists included Jihoon Kim, Tom Moore, Senior Vice President of Government Relations at Huntington Ingalls, the largest U.S. defense shipbuilder, and Rob Lehman, Co-founder and Chief Commercial Officer of Saronic Technologies, a U.S. defense autonomous vessel company.

An HD Hyundai official said, "HD Hyundai was invited by the Hudson Institute to present on strengthening U.S. shipbuilding capabilities and cooperation measures," adding, "The company plans to continue sharing ideas and communicating regarding shipbuilding cooperation with major U.S. research institutes and think tanks in the future."