South Korea’s Presidential Office Comments on U.S. Shipbuilding Request

South Korea’s presidential office has announced that the United States does not appear to rule out the possibility of building U.S. military vessels in South Korea as part of shipbuilding cooperation requested by U.S. President Donald Trump.

According to a senior presidential official, the U.S. side has not ruled out construction in South Korea, but emphasized the need to review U.S. law, which distinguishes among warships, military support vessels, and commercial-type vessels used for military support.

The official stated, ‘We have the impression that the U.S. side is not ruling out construction in South Korea,’ adding that U.S. law ‘distinguishes somewhat depending on the type of vessel, so we need to review them.’

U.S. Law and Its Implications

The Byrnes-Tollefson Amendment, which limits the construction of U.S. naval vessels in foreign shipyards, is expected to be a key variable in the talks. The official noted that there is ‘room for presidential action and several possible methods, but the matter also seems related to Congress.’

The presidential office plans to approach the talks by combining South Korea’s shipbuilding competitiveness, bilateral investment cooperation, and the MASGA project. The official stated, ‘We have a high level of shipbuilding capability, and there are areas where South Korea and the United States need to invest together.’

South Korea is also planning to explain its revised Information and Communications Network Act to the U.S. State Department, which has expressed concern over the matter. The official said, ‘We need to explain a little more. We will continue communicating to resolve differences by explaining that this is not discriminatory treatment, but a reasonable response to protect consumer interests.’

Future Talks and Cooperation

The two allies are expected to hold additional talks after returning to Seoul and Washington. The official stated, ‘We need to flesh out the details through further working-level consultations. We need to identify and fill in the gaps that we do not yet know.’

The joint shipbuilding cooperation project, known as MASGA, is expected to play a key role in the talks. The official noted, ‘With MASGA also in place, we will try to combine various elements well and pursue cooperation that meets expectations.’