U.S. Navy Secretary visits shipyards in S. Korea, as Trump administration seeks to revive shipbuilding

U.S. Secretary of the Navy John Phelan has this week visited shipyards of South Korea's leading shipbuilding companies, as part of the Trump administration's efforts to revive the U.S. shipbuilding industry.

The office of the Secretary of the Navy said Thursday that Phelan visited Hanwha Ocean's shipyard in Geoje and HD Hyundai Heavy Industries' shipyard in Ulsan the day before.

He stressed the importance of cooperation between the U.S. Navy and Korea's maritime industrial base, while adding that leveraging the expertise of these highly capable shipyards enables U.S. vessels to operate at peak performance.

His visit comes after Trump earlier said the United States may purchase advanced ships from close countries.