On the 23rd (local time), Minister of Trade, Industry and Energy Kim Jeong-gwan, U.S. Secretary of Commerce Howard Lutnick, Ambassador to the U.S. Kang Kyung-wha, and U.S. Ambassador to Korea Michelle Steel participate in a ribbon-cutting ceremony at the Korea-US Shipbuilding Cooperation Center held at the Mayflower Hotel in Washington, D.C. [Yonhap News] 

The opening ceremony for the Korea-US Shipbuilding Cooperation Center, aimed at accelerating the "MASGA" (Make American Shipbuilding Great Again) project, was held on the 23rd (local time) in Washington, D.C., with government officials, lawmakers, and business leaders from both countries in attendance.

With the two nations having agreed to invest $150 billion (approximately 224 trillion won) of the $350 billion (approximately 522 trillion won) in planned U.S. investments into the shipbuilding industry, the center is tasked with promoting collaborative projects such as direct investment, technology exchange, and workforce development, backed by South Korean government funding.

As the center—which will serve as an outpost to connect the two countries' shipbuilding cooperation initiatives into tangible investments and businesses—takes its first step, attendees expressed high expectations for delivering concrete results.

Minister of Trade, Industry and Energy Kim Jeong-gwan stated that the opening of the center "symbolizes South Korea's firm commitment to supporting the U.S. shipbuilding industry," adding, "South Korea strongly supports President Trump’s maritime action plan and stands ready to work shoulder-to-shoulder with the United States."

He further emphasized, "MASGA will make the U.S. shipbuilding industry great again, and South Korea is prepared to be America's strongest partner in realizing this vision."

Minister Kim declared, "We will build warships, and we will build LNG (liquefied natural gas) carriers," adding, "We will build them right here in the United States."

Highlighting that both he and U.S. Secretary of Commerce Howard Lutnick have business backgrounds, he stated, "We believe in action, we believe in speed, we believe in results, and we believe in keeping our promises," reaffirming the South Korean government's will to produce tangible achievements in shipbuilding cooperation.

U.S. Secretary of Commerce Howard Lutnick speaks at the Korea-US Shipbuilding Cooperation Center opening ceremony held at the Mayflower Hotel in Washington, D.C. on the 23rd (local time). [Yonhap News] 

Following him, Secretary Lutnick took the floor and further clarified the Trump administration's stance that practical results are paramount.

He essentially called on the South Korean side to deliver concrete investment and production outcomes.

Secretary Lutnick remarked, "We will not evaluate this center based on how many meetings you hold, how many Memorandums of Understanding (MOUs) you sign, or how many cocktail parties you host."

He emphasized, "Instead, we will evaluate this center based on simple metrics: the capital invested, the modernized facilities, the trained workers, the supply chains built, and ultimately, the number of ships produced in the U.S. through Korea-U.S. collaboration."

He further stressed that "talking is not a thing," adding, "We must build all types of warships and commercial vessels within the United States."

His remarks were interpreted as a call for specific investment and production results, signaling a sense of pressure for the center to deliver tangible outcomes.

Secretary Lutnick also noted that the Trump administration is willing to remove regulatory hurdles facing Korean companies to revitalize the shipbuilding industry.

At the Korea-US Shipbuilding Cooperation Center opening ceremony held at the Mayflower Hotel in Washington, D.C. on the 23rd (local time), Minister of Trade, Industry and Energy Kim Jeong-gwan (from left), Hanwha Ocean CEO Jung In-sup, Gibbs & Cox Vice President Mike Rieths, and U.S. Secretary of Commerce Howard Lutnick pose for a photo after the signing of a cooperation MOU between Hanwha Ocean and naval architecture firm Gibbs & Cox. [Yonhap News]

Lee Jong-geon, the director appointed to lead the center, explained, "The center will serve as a key platform to facilitate potential investment opportunities related to shipbuilding. This year, we will focus on three priority tasks: workforce training, consulting for U.S. shipyards, and joint R&D."

Hanwha Ocean CEO Jung In-sup stated, "Hanwha Ocean is sincere about its cooperation with the U.S. shipbuilding industry. We will continue to develop this partnership step-by-step based on a long-term plan."

Fifteen MOUs were signed on this day to accelerate the MASGA project.

The event was attended by U.S. government officials, including Deputy Secretary of Commerce William Quigley, Acting Secretary of the Navy Hung Cao, and Maritime Administrator (MARAD) Chief of Staff Anthony Fisher.

Representatives from the shipbuilding industries of both nations, including HD Korea Shipbuilding & Offshore Engineering CEO Kim Hyung-kwan, Samsung Heavy Industries CEO Choi Sung-ahn, and HJ Shipbuilding & Construction CEO Yoo Sang-chul, were also in attendance.

From the U.S. Congress, Senators Todd Young (Republican, Indiana) and Mark Kelly (Democrat, Arizona) attended, while South Korean attendees included National Assembly members Shin Jung-hoon and Cha Ji-ho (Democratic Party of Korea), and Bae Joon-young and Cho Jung-hun (People Power Party) from the Korea-U.S. Parliamentary Diplomacy Forum.

The "MASGA cap" that appeared at the event also drew attention.

"MASGA," which stands for the commitment to making American shipbuilding great again, is a slogan created by the South Korean government during last year's tariff negotiations to convey its willingness to cooperate in the shipbuilding sector, modeled after President Trump's "MAGA" (Make America Great Again) slogan.

A 'MASGA cap' is placed on a table at the Korea-US Shipbuilding Cooperation Center opening ceremony held at the Mayflower Hotel in Washington, D.C. on the 23rd (local time). [Yonhap News] 

In this process, the MASGA cap was produced and showcased to officials in the Trump administration, and they were also placed on the tables for attendees at the event.

Ambassador to the U.S. Kang Kyung-wha, who attended the event, said, "This center is based on our commitment to making the U.S. shipbuilding industry great again." Pointing to the "MASGA cap," she added, "Since you will all be wearing these caps, you will naturally become MASGA ambassadors," drawing smiles from the audience.

U.S. Ambassador to Korea Michelle Steel remarked that the center's opening is "evidence that the alliance between the two countries is expanding into a new and extremely important area," adding, "It is a model case showing what kind of results the partnership can achieve when both nations align their industrial strategies toward a common goal."

This was the first time Ambassador Steel attended a public event since her Senate confirmation. It also drew attention to see both ambassadors together, as it is the first time in history that South Korea and the United States have simultaneously appointed female ambassadors to each other's countries.

Ambassador Michelle Steel (center), Ambassador Kang Kyung-wha (right), and Minister of Trade, Industry and Energy Kim Jeong-gwan chat while looking at a 'MASGA cap' at the Korea-US Shipbuilding Cooperation Center opening ceremony held at the Mayflower Hotel in Washington, D.C. on the 23rd (local time). [Yonhap News]