Ulsan: The chief of U.S. naval operations, Adm. Daryl Caudle, has visited the shipyards of South Korea's leading shipbuilders -- HD Hyundai Heavy Industries Co. and Hanwha Ocean Co. to discuss shipbuilding cooperation between Seoul and Washington, the companies said Sunday.

According to Yonhap News Agency, on Saturday, HD Hyundai Chairman Chung Ki-sun met with Caudle at the company's shipyard in Ulsan, 350 kilometers southeast of Seoul. Chung briefed the admiral on the company's shipbuilding technologies and exchanged views on advancing the Make American Shipbuilding Great Again (MASGA) initiative. The MASGA project, led by the South Korean government, aims to revitalize the U.S. shipbuilding industry through partnerships with South Korean shipbuilders.

Chung emphasized that HD Hyundai will assist in enhancing U.S. shipbuilding capabilities and strengthening the U.S. Navy's combat readiness, while also supporting the success of the MASGA initiative. The company noted that Caudle's visit is expected to accelerate discussions with U.S. counterparts on technological cooperation in naval ship construction and closer supply-chain integration.

Later, the admiral visited Hanwha Ocean's shipyard in Geoje, 390 km south of Seoul, for similar discussions. Hanwha officials briefed Caudle on plans to expand their business from maintenance, repair and overhaul (MRO) work on U.S. Navy logistics support vessels to MRO for combatant ships, and eventually to new-build naval vessel programs. Hanwha Ocean CEO Kim Hee-cheol stated that the company aims to be the U.S. Navy's most reliable partner and a strong contributor to the Korea-U.S. alliance, while supporting the MASGA project's successful implementation.