Following Donald Trump’s reelection in 2025, he made a congratulatory call with Seoul during which he emphasized the importance of strengthening Republic of Korea (ROK)–U.S. cooperation in the shipbuilding sector.1) Acknowledging South Korea’s advanced shipbuilding capacity, Trump has underscored its strategic importance for revitalizing the U.S. shipbuilding industry during the call. In parallel, between 2024 and July 2025, Hanwha Ocean, the leading firm in the ROK shipbuilding industry, secured three out of four U.S. Navy maintenance, repair, and overhaul (MRO) contracts.2) It also acquired Philly Shipyard, located in the continental United States, in late 2024, marking the first US-ordered, export-market viable liquefied natural gas (LNG) carrier since the 1970s.3) The ROK president Lee Jae-myung has also underscored the shipbuilding project
—referred to as “MASGA (Make American Shipbuilding Great Again)”—as a critical foundation for the future trajectory of the ROK–U.S. relationship.