Korea-U.S. shipbuilding boost

[Anchor]

A bill has been proposed in the U.S. Congress to allow the construction of U.S. Navy vessels to be entrusted to allied countries such as South Korea.

This is aimed at gaining cooperation from allies in the competition against China, which is rapidly increasing its number of vessels.

The cooperation between South Korea and the U.S. in shipbuilding is also expected to expand.

Reporter Kim Gwi-soo has the story.

[Report]

The U.S. Navy's capabilities are the strongest in the world, but a shortage of labor in the shipbuilding industry has led to a lack of ship production and maintenance capacity.

It has long been pointed out that the rate of decommissioning is faster than that of construction.

President Trump has mentioned since before his inauguration that U.S. military vessels could be built in other countries.

[Donald Trump/Then-President-elect of the United States/Jan. 6: "We may have to go to others, bid them out. Ant it's okay to do that. We'll bid them out until we get ourselves ready. We're are prepared for ships. We don't have docks."]

A bill reflecting Trump's intentions has been introduced in the U.S. Congress.

The bill allows for the construction of naval vessels, which was previously only permitted within the U.S., to be entrusted to allied shipyards.

It is seen as necessary to gain cooperation from allies in the maritime hegemony competition with China, which has rapidly increased its number of vessels and is now close to the U.S.

[Choi Byeong-il/Emeritus Professor, Ewha Womans University Graduate School of International Studies/Jan. 26/KBS Special Interview: "The U.S. shipbuilding ecosystem is completely devastated. From 2014 to 2023, the Chinese Navy launched 157 vessels, while the U.S. Navy launched 67."]

Although the bill does not specify particular countries, the only countries capable of building U.S. Navy vessels under various conditions are South Korea and Japan.

There are mixed expectations in the shipbuilding industry.

[HD Hyundai Heavy Industries Official: "Since South Korean shipbuilders are very advanced in certain areas, we believe we can fully satisfy the performance and delivery quality that the U.S. desires."]

Immediately after his election, President Trump mentioned in a phone call with President Yoon Suk Yeol that "the U.S. shipbuilding industry needs the help and cooperation of South Korea."

This is KBS News, Kim Gwi-soo.