Korea-U.S. Shipbuilding Project MASGA Launches Cooperation Center in Washington

The Korea-U.S. shipbuilding cooperation project, dubbed MASGA (Make American Shipbuilding Great Again), has officially launched its cooperation center in Washington D.C. This initiative aims to bolster the U.S. shipbuilding sector, with South Korea committing $150 billion of its $350 billion investment in the U.S. to this industry. The center will serve as a forward operating base for identifying investment opportunities, modernizing shipyards, facilitating technological exchange, and training the workforce.

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We will not evaluate this center by how many meetings we hold or how many MOUs we sign. We will evaluate it by simple numbers: investment capital, modernized facilities, trained workers, and ultimately, the number of ships built in America.

The joint opening ceremony, co-hosted by South Korea's Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy and the U.S. Department of Commerce, was attended by over 130 officials from both governments, legislatures, and industries. A key theme of the event was the focus on concrete outcomes. U.S. Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo stated that the center's success would be evaluated not by the number of meetings or memorandums of understanding signed, but by tangible metrics such as capital investment, modernized facilities, skilled workers, and ultimately, the number of ships built in the U.S.

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Talking is not a thing. We will actively remove regulatory barriers that hinder production in the United States at the Commerce Department level.

South Korea expressed its commitment to direct shipbuilding in the U.S., including naval vessels and liquefied natural gas (LNG) carriers. Minister of Trade, Industry and Energy, Moon Sung-wook, outlined three key requirements for the successful realization of the MASGA vision: sustained demand creation from the U.S. government, robust incentives, and a regulatory environment friendly to allies. The center, located in Washington with a 5,000-square-foot office and four full-time staff, will operate with a budget of approximately $13 million from 2026 to 2028. Its immediate priorities include training 100 U.S. shipyard workers this year, providing consulting services to U.S. shipyards, and supporting joint research and development.

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We will build naval vessels and liquefied natural gas (LNG) carriers directly in the United States.

The launch also saw the signing of 15 MOUs covering various aspects of alliance expansion, including supply chain development, workforce training, and advanced technology, such as unmanned vessels. Major South Korean shipbuilders, along with related associations, formed a 'Team Korea' to collaborate on modernizing U.S. shipyards. Newly appointed U.S. Ambassador to South Korea, Michelle Steel, hailed the shipbuilding cooperation as a significant expansion of the bilateral alliance into a new industrial domain, emphasizing its role in strengthening the overall relationship between the two nations.

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You will all wear these hats, and naturally become MASGA ambassadors.