Princess Anne visits HD Hyundai Heavy’s shipyard in Ulsan, South Korea, with HD Hyundai Vice Chairman Chung Ki-sun on July 14, 2026. (courtesy HD Hyundai)
In 1992, it was Prince Charles (now King Charles III).In 2008, it was Prince Andrew (before he was stripped of his royal titles).In 2026, it was Princess Anne.When British royals visit South Korea, they often stop by the Ulsan shipyard of HD Hyundai Heavy Industries, a long-running British partner.After Princess Anne, the 76-year-old Princess Royal, arrived in Korea on Monday, she visited the Ulsan shipyard on Tuesday afternoon with her husband Vice Admiral Sir Timothy Laurence and British Ambassador to Korea Colin Crooks.Following a visit that morning to the United Nations Memorial Cemetery in Busan, where she paid her respects at the graves of British service members killed during the Korean War, Princess Anne toured the Ulsan shipyard, including its shipbuilding facilities and engine plant.She was welcomed to the shipyard by HD Hyundai Vice Chairman Chung Ki-sun, Vice Chairman Lee Sang-kyun and President Joo Won-ho.The British delegation was briefed on HD Hyundai’s collaboration with British defense firms Rolls-Royce and Beaufort.Rolls-Royce, which makes some of the world’s most advanced gas turbines for naval vessels, has been working with HD Hyundai since 2012, supplying key propulsion equipment for Republic of Korea Navy frigates.British manufacturer Beaufort has been supplying submarine survival equipment to the company since 2013.While the UK was a shipbuilding powerhouse in the 20th century, it gave up its technological edge and competitive prices as first Japan, then Korea and finally China emerged as leading shipbuilding nations.Today, the British shipbuilding industry has lost most of its commercial shipbuilding capacity and stays afloat through the construction of naval and other specialized vessels.Mirroring a similar initiative underway in the US, the UK recently unveiled the National Shipbuilding Strategy, which aims to boost the shipbuilding industry’s productivity and global competitiveness while rejuvenating its navy. But those efforts face significant hurdles.“The UK is more than some country we have worked with; it is a special partner that has been part of HD Hyundai’s journey from the beginning,” Chung said. “Drawing on our world-class shipbuilding expertise, we will support the continued development of the UK’s shipbuilding and maritime industries.”
