SEOUL, November 16 (AJP) - South Korea's leading shipbuilders, HD Hyundai Heavy Industries and Hanwha Ocean, said Sunday that U.S. Navy Chief Adm. Daryl Caudle visited their shipyards in the southern port cities of Ulsan and Geoje the previous day.
His visit, accompanied by Kevin Kim, Chargé d'Affaires ad interim, and other officials, came just a day after South Korea and the U.S. released a joint fact sheet detailing their trade and security agreements, which include Seoul's pledge, dubbed "MASGA (Make America Shipbuilding Great Again)," to invest US$150 billion to revitalize the American shipbuilding industry in the coming years as part of the bilateral deal.
At the industrial hub of Ulsan, HD Hyundai's Chairman Chung Ki-sun greeted Caudle as he toured Aegis destroyers and other ships under construction.
Caudle boarded the recently launched Aegis destroyer Dasan Jeong Yak-yong, named after one of the greatest thinkers of the Joseon Dynasty (1392–1897), and received a briefing on its advanced combat readiness and operational capabilities.
"We will help enhance the U.S. shipbuilding industry while making every effort to ensure the success of the MASGA project," Chung was quoted as saying.
Caudle then traveled to Hanwha Ocean's facilities in Geoje, where CEO Kim Hee-chul and other executives demonstrated their shipbuilding capabilities.
Hanwha Ocean has been involved in maintenance, repair, and overhaul (MRO) projects for the U.S. Navy, including dry cargo ship Charles Drew, which is scheduled for completion by January next year.
Praising the shipbuilder's world-class infrastructure, the admiral stressed that collaboration in shipbuilding would further solidify the alliance between the two countries.
Caudle's tour of the two shipyards is expected to speed up talks for the MASGA projects and other relevant cooperation in naval construction with U.S. counterparts.
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