U.S. Navy secretary visits S. Korea's leading shipbuilders to bolster cooperation

U.S. Secretary John Phelan of the Navy is here in South Korea as part of efforts to jump-start partnership between Seoul and Washington in shipbuilding.

Moon Ji-young reports.

U.S. Navy Secretary John Phelan is on a visit to South Korea in a move to enhance bilateral cooperation in the shipbuilding sector under U.S. President Donald Trump's leadership.

According to industry sources, Phelan is visiting HD Hyundai Heavy's headquarters in Ulsan , and Hanwha Ocean's shipyard in Geoje on Wednesday, both located in the southern region of the country.

He is expected to meet with the companies' top executives, including HD Hyundai Vice Chairman Chung Ki-sun and Hanwha Group Vice Chairman Kim Dong-kwan , to discuss potential collaboration in areas of naval shipbuilding, maintenance, repairs, and overhauls.

The navy chief's visit comes as Trump has highlighted the need to revitalize America's shipbuilding industry and the importance of partnering with allies, including South Korea, a global powerhouse in naval vessel construction.

Before arriving in South Korea, Phelan visited Japan, where he toured local shipyards and met with Japanese Defense Minister Gen Nakatani to seek bilateral cooperation in naval ship maintenance.

"The competition with China, especially regarding the scale of warships, is so fierce that the U.S. shipbuilding industry cannot effectively compete. This is why President Trump plans to revive it."

Meanwhile, Acting President Han Duck-soo met with John Phelan on Wednesday morning to discuss cooperation in the shipbuilding sector, including strategies to integrate this collaboration into broader trade negotiations.

Moon Ji-young, Arirang News.