Korean Media: Trump Says "Urgent Need to Rebuild Aging U.S. Navy... Will Consider Korean Enterprises"

¬ Formalizing K-Shipbuilding Cooperation

U.S. President Donald Trump formally expressed his willingness to partner with South Korea's shipbuilding industry to revitalize the declining U.S. Navy. He even specifically mentioned the possibility of directly purchasing finished warships from outside U.S. territory, leading analysts to believe that defense cooperation between South Korea and the United States has entered a new phase.

On the 15th local time, during a speech at the Defense and Innovation Summit hosted by the U.S. Army War College in Carlisle, Pennsylvania, Trump stated: "We must rebuild our navy. Therefore, we will consider some enterprises from South Korea and other regions." This can be interpreted as indicating his intention to designate South Korean shipyards—possessing overwhelming shipbuilding capabilities—as core partners in constructing U.S. warships.

This is not merely about technological collaboration; Trump even hinted at the possibility of directly purchasing completed warships from overseas regions such as South Korea. He emphasized: "We will also purchase ships built outside our region. They are collaborating with us in shipbuilding, and we will also build them ourselves. The United States will acquire many warships." This signals plans for large-scale military enhancement.

Currently, replacing aging naval vessels and expanding the size of the U.S. Navy have become top priorities for national security. Trump remarked: "Although we possess the world’s strongest navy, our ships are aging. In fact, we have abandoned this industry entirely." In reality, the U.S. shipbuilding industry has been gradually losing competitiveness for decades, reaching a point where there are no longer any reputable domestic shipyards capable of building warships.

However, if the plan proposed by Trump proceeds—bringing in foreign shipyards to construct warships—it would first require abolishing relevant regulations. The current U.S. Burns-Porter Act generally prohibits the construction of naval warships overseas. Experts predict that whether Trump will exercise his authority to allow exceptions will become a focal point of attention.

The U.S. leadership has already engaged in considerable dialogue with the South Korean government regarding shipbuilding cooperation. Both countries have reached consensus on channeling part of South Korea’s large-scale investment into the shipbuilding sector. Previously, Trump met multiple times with South Korean President Yoon Suk-yeol during the G7 summit last month and the NATO summit on the 7th of this month, holding close discussions on shipbuilding issues. Recently, the U.S. Department of Defense and Navy have sent request-for-information documents to major South Korean shipbuilders regarding destroyers and oilers, moving into practical implementation stages.

On the same day, Michael Kurt, CEO of Hanwha Defense USA, also attended the Defense and Innovation Summit event, expressing strong confidence in revitalizing U.S. shipbuilding infrastructure. Kurt said: "Our shipyards in Korea can build approximately one vessel per week. We plan to bring this capability to the Philadelphia Shipyard. The president knows better than anyone that warships lead battles to victory, and shipyards lead wars to victory. We will revive Philadelphia’s great tradition."

Source: Chosun Ilbo

Original Article: toutiao.com/article/1870839029915659/

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