As the United States works to rebuild its shipbuilding capacity amid competition with China, allied partnerships have moved to the center of the conversation. This event examines how the U.S. and South Korea can turn shared interest into lasting industrial cooperation.
The first panel brings together senior representatives from the private sector. Panelists will review the achievements, technology-sharing arrangements, maintenance, repair, and overhaul (MRO) partnerships, and workforce initiatives already underway as well as discuss any regulatory issues that needs to be addressed. They will offer a candid assessment of what has worked, what remains unresolved, and where near-term opportunities lie.
The second panel turns to policy experts to consider what comes next now that the President’s latest memorandum has opened the door to both foreign and domestic shipbuilding. They will identify the regulatory, workforce, and financial reforms needed to expand commercial and naval construction, and recommend how allies such as South Korea and Japan can help realize the full promise of allied shipbuilding cooperation. They will also sketch what success could look like a decade from now.
This event is made possible with support from co-host the Korea-U.S. Shipbuilding Partnership Center.
Featured Speakers
Rachel Stohl, Acting President & CEO, Stimson Center (Introductory Remarks)
Jung-Gyu Shin, Director, Korea-U.S. Shipbuilding Partnership Center (KUSPC) (Keynote Address)
Jung-Gyu Shin is a Director and founding member of the Korea-U.S. Shipbuilding Partnership Center (KUSPC) in Washington, D.C., serving on secondment from the Korea Offshore & Shipbuilding Association (KOSHIPA). He focuses on government-industry networking, shipbuilding workforce development, and bilateral cooperation initiatives. Since joining KOSHIPA in 2012, he has worked extensively on maritime regulations, industry policy, market analysis, and international cooperation. His recent work at KOSHIPA has focused on shipbuilding market analysis, industry policy and regulatory improvement, and Korea-U.S. shipbuilding cooperation. Previously, he represented the Korean shipbuilding industry at the International Maritime Organization (IMO), contributing to regulatory discussions on energy efficiency, underwater radiated noise, and maritime autonomous surface ships (MASS).
Panel 1: The View from Industry and Regulatory Opportunities
Sek Hwan “Andrew” Hong, President & CEO, HD Hyundai USA
Andrew brings more than 15 years of experience at HD Hyundai Heavy Industries, where he held a series of leadership roles spanning legal, project execution, and business operations. This combination gives him a unique perspective on the legal, commercial, and operational dimensions of the shipbuilding and maritime industry. He holds a Juris Doctor from the University of Kentucky College of Law and a B.A. in Economics, with distinction, from Korea University.
Rear Admiral Ronald J. Rábago, USCG (Retired), Senior Vice President, Government Services, American Bureau of Shipping (ABS)
In his current role, Admiral Rábago provides executive leadership in support of government maritime programs, including classification and technical services for military and government-owned vessels. Before joining ABS, Admiral Rábago completed a distinguished 36 year career in the U.S. Coast Guard. He served as Assistant Commandant for Engineering and Logistics and Chief Engineer, where he oversaw life cycle engineering, logistics, maintenance and infrastructure for the Coast Guard’s fleet of cutters, aircraft, boats and shore facilities. Prior to that, he served as Assistant Commandant for Acquisition and Chief Acquisition Officer, leading the service’s major acquisition and recapitalization programs and managed a multibillion dollar investment portfolio.
Lawrence “Larry” Ryder, Senior Vice President, Shipbuilding Business Development, Hanwha Defense USA
Prior to joining HDUSA, Ryder was vice president of business development and external affairs at Austal USA. While at Austal USA, he led the company’s transition into steel shipbuilding and autonomy, led the company’s expansion into Singapore and San Diego, and led winning efforts for over $10B in contract awards including the U.S. Coast Guard Offshore Patrol Cutter (OPC) and Navy TAGOS programs. He also developed the concept for the Expeditionary Medical Ship (EMS) which led to a $1B award and established Austal USA as a primary outsourcing partner of the U.S. Navy Submarine Industrial Base (SIB). Ryder is a retired Marine with over 21 years of service. He has extensive experience with shipbuilding programs, serving as the first director of the USMC High Speed Vessel (HSV) Program Office where he helped develop and establish the Expeditionary Fast Transport (EPF) program. Ryder has held positions at General Dynamics and Whitney, Bradley & Brown where he led domestic and international business development efforts for both the Littoral Combat Ship (LCS) and EPF programs. He worked closely with the Navy and Austal in the development of these programs since their inception.
Darcie Draudt-Véjares, Fellow, Korea Studies, Asia Program, Carnegie Endowment for International Peace
Darcie Draudt-Véjares’s work examines South Korea’s evolving international role, including the U.S.–South Korea security alliance, partnerships with other middle powers, and the growing importance of industrial and technological capabilities in international affairs. Before joining Carnegie, Draudt-Véjares held academic appointments at Princeton University and George Washington University, as well as research positions at the National Bureau of Asian Research, Korea Economic Institute of America, and Council on Foreign Relations. She has briefed policymakers on both sides of the Pacific on Korean Peninsula affairs, U.S.–South Korea relations, and the intersection of economics and security. Her analysis has been featured in CNN, Bloomberg, BBC, The New York Times, and the Financial Times.
Matthew Reisener, Senior National Security Advisor, Center for Maritime Strategy (Moderator)
Matthew previously served as the National Democratic Institute’s Senior Program Manager for the Middle East and North Africa, managing international development programs in Yemen and Algeria. Before that, he worked at the Center for the National Interest from 2017-2021, where he served as the organization’s chief of staff and co-edited a report entitled “Seapower in Stormy Seas: The Future of American Naval Power in the 21st Century.”
Panel 2: Policy Perspectives and Recommendations
Eric Labs, Senior Analyst, Naval Forces & Weapons, Congressional Budget Office
Dr. Labs specializes in issues related to the procurement, budgeting, and sizing of the forces for the Department of the Navy and the Coast Guard. Dr. Labs has testified before Congress numerous times and published many reports under the auspices of the Congressional Budget Office as well as articles and papers in academic journals and conferences, including the U.S. Naval Institute’s Proceedings, Sea Power magazine, the Naval War College Review, and Security Studies. He has given presentations to a variety of industry, government, and academic audiences. Chief of Naval Operations Admiral John Richardson awarded him the Navy Superior Public Service Award in February 2019. Dr. Labs has received CBO’s highest honor, the Director’s Award for Exceptional Achievement, in 2001, 2003, 2007, and 2014.
Cynthia R. Cook, Senior Fellow, Defense & Security Department, Center for Strategic & International Studies (CSIS)
An expert on defense policy and innovation, Dr. Cook is widely published on acquisition reform, supply chain resilience, and the production and sustainment of military systems. Dr. Cook has advised policymakers across multiple administrations, briefing Department of Defense and allied defense leaders on industrial base policy. She serves on the editorial board of the Defense Acquisition Research Journal, is an adjunct professor and has advised dissertations at the RAND Graduate School, and is affiliated with the Acquisition Innovation Research Center and the Institute for Defense Analyses’ Defense Management Institute. Before joining CSIS, Dr. Cook spent more than two decades at RAND as a senior management scientist. Earlier in her career, she was a research specialist at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology’s Lean Aerospace Initiative and a corporate finance analyst at a New York investment bank.
Erik Raven, Managing Director, Defense Practice Area, Beacon Global Strategies
Mr. Raven most recently served as the Under Secretary of the Navy from April 2022 to August 2024. In this role, he served as the Chief Operating Officer and Chief Management Officer of the Department of the Navy, comprised of more than 800,000 Sailors, Marines, and civilians, and an annual budget exceeding $250 billion. He led planning, programming, budgeting, and execution processes to align resources to the 2022 National Defense Strategy and the Secretary of the Navy’s strategic guidance; played a critical role in designing and implementing the AUKUS Pillar 1 program to deliver conventionally-armed, nuclear powered submarines to Australia; and oversaw presidential drawdown authorities for fielding naval capabilities to Ukraine and Taiwan. His work in government has been recognized with the Navy Distinguished Public Service Award, the Army Distinguished Public Service Award, and the Navy Superior Public Service Award.
Jason Kim, Chief Operating Officer, Samsung Heavy Industries USA Solutions LLC
Jason Kim is the COO of Samsung Heavy Industries USA Solutions LLC, a U.S. subsidiary of Samsung Heavy Industries that was newly established in early 2026 and is responsible for the development and operation of SHI’s U.S. business. Before joining SHI USA in July 2026, he served as an offshore wind bid manager for RWE Renewables Korea and was responsible for the development of offshore wind business in APAC, covering Korea, Japan, and Australia. Prior to joining RWE in May 2023, he had been working for SHI over 16 years since 2007and was responsible for the business development of shipbuilding and offshore oil and gas EPC, including 3 years in London as an SHI representative for shipbuilding and offshore oil and gas business development in Europe, Russia and Africa, focusing on LNGC and FLNGs.
J. James Kim, Director, Korea Program, Stimson Center; Lecturer, School of International and Public Affairs (EMPA), Columbia University (Moderator)
