South Korea to host US students in shipbuilding education program

Participants of the first Korea-US Shipbuilding Leaders Forum pose for a photo at HD Hyundais Global RD Center in Seongnam Gyeonggi Province June 24 2025 Courtesy of HD Hyundai — Participants of the first Korea-US Shipbuilding Leaders Forum pose for a photo at HD Hyundai's Global R&D Center in Seongnam, Gyeonggi Province, June 24, 2025. Courtesy of HD Hyundai

SEOUL, June 24 (AJP) - South Korea will launch a new shipbuilding education program next year aimed at strengthening maritime industry ties with the United States by hosting American university students and faculty for short-term training.

The initiative was announced Tuesday by the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy.

Seoul National University, San Diego State University, and HD Korea Shipbuilding & Offshore Engineering signed a memorandum of understanding, outlining plans for collaborative education and training.

Under the agreement, Seoul National University will host between 20 and 30 students and faculty members from U.S. institutions annually, beginning in 2026, for short-term engineering programs focused on shipbuilding. The two countries also committed to expanding the scope of the program to include shipyard design professionals.

The new agreement builds on a similar trilateral accord signed last July between Seoul National University, the University of Michigan, and HD Korea Shipbuilding & Offshore Engineering.

The latest initiative comes as the United States seeks to rebuild its maritime capabilities, following decades of industrial decline in commercial shipbuilding.

Kim Dong-young davekim0807@ajupress.com