Ulsan: HD Hyundai, South Korea's prominent shipbuilding group, announced that senior officials from South Korea and the United States visited its shipyard to discuss expanding cooperation in the shipbuilding sector in preparation for an upcoming summit between their leaders.

According to Yonhap News Agency, the meeting included Foreign Minister Cho Hyun, Joseph Yun, acting U.S. ambassador to South Korea, and Lee Sang-kyun, president and CEO of HD Hyundai Heavy Industries Co. The discussions took place at the shipbuilder's headquarters in Ulsan, located about 300 kilometers southeast of Seoul. Lee briefed the officials on HD Hyundai's shipbuilding capabilities and future industry vision.

The visit included a tour of the shipyard by foreign ministry officials to evaluate potential government support required for the South Korea-U.S. shipbuilding cooperation initiative, valued at $150 billion. This initiative, known as "Make American Shipbuilding Great Again" (MASGA), aims to rejuvenate the U.S. shipbuilding industry.

Lee affirmed HD Hyundai's commitment to supporting the MASGA project, which has become a symbol of the Korea-U.S. alliance. Earlier this month, HD Hyundai Heavy secured a maintenance, repair, and overhaul contract for a U.S. Navy cargo ship, marking the first agreement under the MASGA initiative.

HD Hyundai's intermediate holding company, HD Korea Shipbuilding and Offshore Engineering Co. (HD KSOE), manages three shipbuilding affiliates: HD Hyundai Heavy, HD Hyundai Samho Heavy Industries, and HD Hyundai Mipo Dockyard.