Event

US–ROK Shipbuilding Cooperation: Taking Stock and Charting the Next Steps

Join industry leaders and policy experts to assess progress, obstacles, and next steps for allied cooperation on shipbuilding following President Trump’s latest shipbuilding memorandum.

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October 26, 2026 from 2:00 to 4:00 PM (US Eastern)

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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 leading shipbuilding companies. Panelists will review the achievements, technology-sharing arrangements, maintenance, repair, and overhaul (MRO) partnerships, and workforce initiatives already underway. 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 President Trump’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 potential of allied shipbuilding cooperation. They will also explore what success could look like a decade from now.

*Featured speakers and panel agendas to be announced.

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J. James Kim
Sean (Hyuk Hyun) Kwon