Korea seeks to expand US naval cooperation from MRO to shipbuilding

Korea is seeking to expand its naval cooperation with the United States beyond maintenance, repair, and overhaul (MRO) to the construction of U.S. support and combat vessels, as Washington looks to its allies to help ease constraints in its shipbuilding capacity. Korean shipbuilders have won 12 U.S. Navy MRO contracts since 2024, including five this year, according to Kim Il-dong, vice minister of the Defense Acquisition Program Administration (DAPA).

However, Kim emphasized that the significance of these contracts goes beyond the number of vessels serviced, stating that MRO is a gateway to broader cooperation. He further explained that the two countries should leverage the experience gained through MRO projects to extend it to combat vessel maintenance and eventually shipbuilding.

Korean shipyards have been learning U.S. Navy procedures as well as its quality and security requirements through MRO projects, providing them with the experience that could pave the way for more complex work.

Brief written by urgent.news from The Korea Times's own syndicated text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.