A delegation from the U.S. Department of Commerce visited HJ Shipbuilding and Construction (HJ Shipbuilding)’s Yeongdo Shipyard in Busan, where discussions extended beyond the U.S. government’s naval MRO (maintenance, repair, and overhaul) initiatives to potential cooperation in commercial shipbuilding as well.
On November 11, Alex Krutz, Deputy Assistant Secretary of the U.S. Department of Commerce, visited the Yeongdo Shipyard alongside Dewey Moore, Principal Officer of the U.S. Consulate in Busan, and Commercial Officer Michael Kim. HJ Shipbuilding CEO Yoo Sang-cheol and company executives welcomed the delegation and provided a tour of major facilities.
Krutz, who serves in the International Trade Administration and has over 20 years of expertise in aerospace, defense manufacturing, and supply chain advisory, visited production docks and key facilities. The delegation reportedly expressed strong satisfaction after reviewing HJ Shipbuilding’s naval, special-purpose, and commercial shipbuilding capabilities, as well as its readiness for future MRO operations.
Krutz posted on social media that he had visited Korea’s leading shipyards—including HD Hyundai Heavy Industries, Hanwha Ocean, Samsung Heavy Industries, and HJ Shipbuilding—over a three-day period, adding that the U.S. was discussing “large-scale merchant shipbuilding cooperation” with allies and partners.
As the shipbuilding collaboration framework between South Korea and the United States continues to expand, the visit by high-level Commerce Department officials has strengthened industry expectations that the MASGA (Make Shipbuilding Great Again) initiative is moving toward concrete implementation.
The joint fact sheet released by both governments on November 13 outlined detailed cooperation plans, including approval for constructing nuclear-powered attack submarines, MRO projects, workforce development, shipyard modernization, and supply chain reinforcement.
The U.S. government has also signaled its ambition to build American ships in Korea to accelerate fleet expansion for both commercial and naval sectors. Potential avenues include outsourcing ship MRO, acquiring or upgrading U.S. shipyards, co-producing naval vessels, and joint procurement initiatives.
HJ Shipbuilding has been actively preparing to participate in the MASGA project. In April, U.S. Forces Korea Naval Commander Neil Koprowski visited the Yeongdo yard, followed by the formation of an “MRO Cluster Council
