FM Cho vows close cooperation with U.S. for 'mutually beneficial outcome' in shipbuilding ties

SEOUL, Aug. 13 (Yonhap) -- Foreign Minister Cho Hyun on Wednesday pledged to work with the United States to advance "mutually beneficial" shipbuilding cooperation, as he toured a major shipyard in southeastern South Korea amid Seoul's efforts to align with a U.S. push to revive the industry.

Cho made the remark during his visit to a HD Hyundai shipyard in the industrial city of Ulsan, some 320 kilometers southeast of Seoul, highlighting that the South Korea-U.S. alliance is evolving into a comprehensive strategic partnership that encompasses not only security but the economy and advanced technology sectors.

"As shipbuilding cooperation emerges as one of the key pillars for advancing the alliance, the ministry will work closely with relevant government agencies and our industries to actively engage with the U.S. so that our shipbuilding cooperation leads to a mutually beneficial outcome," the foreign ministry quoted Cho as saying.

Accompanying the minister on the trip were acting U.S. Ambassador to Seoul Joseph Yun, and a group of lawmakers serving on the National Assembly's foreign affairs and unification committee.

The tour came as South Korea is seeking to step up cooperation with the U.S. in the shipbuilding industry, as part of broader efforts to align with the Donald Trump administration's strategic move to restore the American shipbuilding sector.

Seoul has proposed large-scale shipbuilding cooperation projects, dubbed "Make American Shipbuilding Great Again (MASGA)," and this was reportedly instrumental in clinching the recent tariff agreement with the Trump administration earlier this month.

MASGA calls for building new shipyards in the U.S., nurturing shipbuilding personnel and reestablishing related supply chains, as well as building American ships and cooperation on maintenance, repair and overhaul (MRO) projects.

"The minister, ambassador and the lawmakers reaffirmed that South Korea is a key partner for the U.S. in its drive to rebuild the shipbuilding sector, and called for strengthening the cooperation framework and exploring concrete measures to advance full-scale shipbuilding cooperation between the two countries," the ministry said.

Rep. Kim Seok-ki of the main opposition People Power Party, the chair of the Assembly's foreign affairs committee, pledged full support for the cooperation between the countries at the parliamentary level.

elly@yna.co.kr
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