[On-point] How S. Korea’s MASGA proposal could transform U.S. shipbuilding industry

Economic issues have been central to relations with the United States since Trump’s second term began, and these issues were at the forefront of talks when Presidents Lee and Trump met in Washington last week.

As part of a trade deal with Washington to lower tariffs, Seoul committed $350 billion U.S. dollars in investments, with a big chunk of that --$150 billion earmarked for shipbuilding cooperation.

For more on this, we're joined by Professor Song Soo-young, Professor at the College of Business and Economics at Chung-Ang University.

Professor Song, thanks for joining us this morning.

1. Do you think the shipbuilding partnership can transform and effectively revive the struggling American shipbuilding industry? And do you see the government’s so-called 'Make American Shipbuilding Great Again' project as a win-win for both countries? Can we expect a major deal to be signed on naval shipbuilding?

2. President Lee also visited the Hanwha Philly shipyard on the final day of his U.S. trip, so we could definitely see that the Korean government is focusing on shipbuilding cooperation with Washington. How has the MASGA project impacted Korean shipbuilding companies so far? Some analysts say it could drive growth for at least five years --do you think this momentum will last for a while?

3. Another area of focus was energy cooperation, particularly the Alaska LNG project. President Donald Trump mentioned the U.S. is planning to make a joint venture with South Korea, and that Japan is also very strongly involved. How do you see this affecting Korean companies?

4. In the aviation sector, another major deal was announced during President Lee's U.S. visit, with Korean Air unveiling a $50 billion deal to buy more than 100 Boeing aircraft, along with several spare engines and 20 years of engine maintenance. What's the assessment of that deal?

Alright Professor Song. Thank you so much for your insight today. We appreciate it.