Seoul: South Korea is collaborating with the United States to address legal barriers hindering bilateral shipbuilding cooperation, as stated by Seok Jong-gun, the head of Seoul's arms acquisition agency. This initiative aligns with Seoul's efforts to support Washington's goal of revitalizing the American shipbuilding industry.

According to Yonhap News Agency, Seok Jong-gun, minister of the Defense Acquisition Program Administration, highlighted these efforts during a forum hosted by the Center for Strategic and International Studies. He pointed to specific legal barriers such as the Byrnes-Tollefson Amendment, which restricts foreign entities from constructing major components, including the hull of Navy vessels. Seok Jong-gun emphasized the need for discussions with senior officials from the Pentagon and the Department of the Navy to address these barriers.

Seok Jong-gun further mentioned the challenges in meeting the U.S. demand for shipbuilding cooperation through the sole South Korea-run shipyard in the United States, Philly Shipyard in Philadelphia, operated by Korean shipbuilder Hanwha Ocean. He proposed several solutions, including supplying various ship components to the U.S. and manufacturing ship parts in blocks for assembly in the United States.

Additionally, other methods discussed involve building naval vessels with minimal sailing functions and transporting them to America for the addition of sensitive security features and combat systems. Seok Jong-gun stressed the importance of coordinating proposals to satisfy U.S. demands and suggested that a swift decision from U.S. leadership might be necessary.

The initiative comes in response to U.S. President Donald Trump's administration's focus on rebuilding America's shipbuilding sector, especially as China possesses significantly higher shipbuilding capacity. South Korea has proposed a large-scale cooperation project, "Make American Shipbuilding Great Again," which includes constructing new shipyards in the U.S., developing shipbuilding personnel, re-establishing supply chains, and collaborating on maintenance, repair, and overhaul projects.