U.S. signals flexibility on South Korea shipbuilding cooperation

A senior Trump administration official said South Korea-U.S. shipbuilding cooperation is a highly important deal that could help rebuild the U.S. defense industrial base, and added that necessary adjustments could be made. The remarks suggest the administration may ease regulations that have restricted joint warship construction, a key part of its defense industry strengthening agenda. South Korean and U.S. authorities are reportedly already discussing ways to cooperate on warship construction to boost U.S. naval capabilities.

The official recently told The Dong-A Ilbo that Washington is open to broad shipbuilding cooperation with Seoul, including warship construction, and that both the U.S. and South Korean positions would be fully considered. This is interpreted as a willingness to relax restrictions under the Byrnes-Tollefson Amendment and the Jones Act, allowing U.S. and South Korean shipbuilders more flexibility. The Byrnes-Tollefson Amendment prohibits the construction of U.S. naval vessels, hulls, or key components overseas, while the Jones Act requires that cargo transported between U.S. ports use American-built ships.

The official also indicated that warship construction cooperation could be linked to broader trade and investment issues with South Korea, effectively packaging defense goals with economic and employment considerations.

Meanwhile, Seok Jong-geon, head of South Korea’s Defense Acquisition Program Administration, said at a forum organized by the agency and the Center for Strategic and International Studies in Washington on Sept. 17 that legal obstacles remain in Korea-U.S. shipbuilding cooperation. He added that proactive U.S. leadership would be needed to resolve these issues quickly. Seok also noted that South Korea has proposed several options, including supplying components first or producing ship blocks in Korea for assembly in the U.S. He said he would discuss these options with senior officials from the U.S. Department of Defense and Navy during his visit.


Jin-Woo Shin niceshin@donga.com