South Korean President Lee Jae Myung has pledged to back Washington’s efforts to revitalise the United States’ shipbuilding sector, highlighting Seoul’s commitment to strengthening bilateral industrial and security ties.

During a visit to the Hanwha Philly Shipyard in Philadelphia, which Korean shipbuilder Hanwha Ocean acquired last year for 140 billion won ($100 million), Lee attended the christening ceremony of the National Security Multi-Mission Vessel (NSMV) “State of Maine”, built for the U.S. Maritime Administration (MARAD).

The visit came a day after Lee’s summit with U.S. President Donald Trump at the White House. The Philadelphia shipyard marks the first American shipyard acquired by a South Korean company and is seen as the centerpiece of Seoul’s cooperation plan titled “Make American Shipbuilding Great Again” (MASGA).

“The Republic of Korea’s shipbuilding industry is setting out to contribute to strengthening U.S. maritime security and rejuvenating America’s shipbuilding industry,” Lee said. He stressed that the MASGA project aims for a “win-win” partnership, enabling both countries’ industries to advance together.

Hanwha Vice Chairman Kim Dong-kwan added that the initiative embodies a shared commitment to reindustrialisation, job creation, and advanced shipbuilding innovation in the U.S. Hanwha pledged further investment to expand annual production capacity at the shipyard from 1.5 ships to 20 ships.

Lee underscored that the project represents a “future-oriented, comprehensive strategic partnership” covering security, economic, and technological cooperation between South Korea and the United States.