President Lee Jae-myung said Monday that "the most important part of investment cooperation between Korea and the United States is the shipbuilding industry." He also expressed his determination to build a system where everyone can share in the fruits of shipbuilding growth through a robust ecosystem.
Presiding over the "K-Shipbuilding Future Vision Forum" held at Hotel Hyundai by Lahan Ulsan, Lee said, "Amid growing international interest in the shipbuilding industry recently, shipbuilding has been selected as a core item in large-scale U.S. investment projects through the so-called 'MASGA' (Make American Shipbuilding Great Again)." He emphasized, "Going forward, what matters is how robust of an independent ecosystem we have in shipbuilding."
Lee also stressed the need to establish a structure in which labor and management can share the gains from the development of the shipbuilding industry. "Within companies, it is important to create a system where employers and workers can enjoy the fruits together," Lee said. "I will give serious thought to what the government can do." Prior to the forum, Lee inspected the shipbuilding site of HD Hyundai Heavy Industries.
Separately, Lee met with U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent the same day, emphasizing the importance of developing bilateral cooperation and proposing a currency swap between Korea and the United States, according to sources.
