Representatives from the US and South Korea attend a ribbon-cutting ceremony for the Korea-US Shipbuilding Partnership Center in Washington, DC, on July 23, 2026. (Kim Won-chul/Hankyoreh)
The Korea-US Shipbuilding Partnership Center (KUSPC) opened its doors in Washington on Thursday, marking a key step in the Korea-US shipbuilding cooperation initiative known as MASGA, or “Make American Shipbuilding Great Again.”Since Korea plans to devote US$150 billion of the US$350 billion earmarked for a US investment package into the US shipbuilding industry, the KUSPC will function as an on-the-ground hub for identifying viable projects, modernizing shipyards, exchanging technology and training workers.Korea’s Ministry of Trade, Industry and Resources and the US Commerce Department jointly hosted the KUSPC’s opening ceremony at the Mayflower Hotel in Washington, DC, on Thursday morning. The ceremony was attended by some 130 figures from both countries’ governments, legislatures and business sectors, including Korean Industry Minister Kim Jung-kwan and US Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick.The central theme of the event was concrete and tangible results.In his congratulatory speech, US Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick said the US will not evaluate the center on “how many meetings you hold, how many memorandums of understanding you sign or how many cocktail parties you host.”“We are going to judge the center by the capital you deploy, the facilities you modernize, the workers you train, the supply chains you establish, and ultimately the simple number of how many domestically produced ships we make together,” he said.Stressing that “talking is not a thing,” Lutnick pledged that his department would “clear the regulatory roadblocks for you to build in America.”Seoul emphasized plans for direct on-site construction. Kim expressed his commitment to proceed with the project quickly, promising to build naval vessels and liquefied natural gas carriers in the US.He also mentioned three key prerequisites to achieve the MASGA vision: generate sustained demand, provide strong incentives and create an alliance-friendly regulatory environment.Seoul unveiled its plans for financial and infrastructure support. Lee Jong-geon, who will serve as the director of the center, announced that the KUSPC had set up a 5,000-square-foot office in Washington with four full-time staff members. With support from the Korean government, the facility will operate through 2028 with a budget of 19.93 billion won (US$13 million). Starting this year, it will pursue three priority initiatives: education and training for 100 shipyard workers in the US, consulting for American shipyards, and supporting joint research and development.Fifteen memorandums of understanding were signed at the event to expand the alliance across the board, including formation of supply chains, human resource training, and development of advanced technologies and unmanned vessels. Korea’s top three shipbuilders — HD Hyundai Heavy Industries, Hanwha Ocean and Samsung Heavy Industries — and related associations agreed to form “Team Korea” to jointly modernize American shipyards.
