With HD Hyundai Heavy Industries and Hanwha Ocean designated as defense contractors for the Korean Destroyer (KDDX) project, Hanwha Ocean stated the need for joint development, while HD Hyundai Heavy Industries asserted that the practice of the company performing the basic design also carrying out the construction must be upheld.
On the 4th, Yoo Yong-won, a member of the National Assembly's defense committee from the People Power Party, hosted a forum at the National Assembly Hall in Yeouido, Seoul, titled "Exploring Progressive Directions for Domestic and International Warship Projects." Kim Ho-joong, executive director of Hanwha Ocean's special ship division, noted, "The Korean Destroyer project was scheduled to proceed in 2024, but it remains uninitiated," adding, "The project must progress promptly for domestic and international warship projects to develop." He continued, "It is necessary for two firms capable of construction to engage in partitioning construction and joint development."
Although HD Hyundai Heavy Industries did not mention the KDDX project, it reiterated its existing position by referring to the history of warship projects. Choi Tae-bok, executive director of HD Hyundai Heavy Industries' special ship division, stated, "The cost of warship construction continues to rise, yet the budget has not supported this. The structure necessitated accepting losses on contracts, making investment in research and development difficult," and explained, "Considering this uncertain situation, it has been established that the company conducting the basic design consistently leads the construction."
Typically, it is customary for the company that conducts the basic design, the first stage of warship construction, to also construct the first ship. HD Hyundai Heavy Industries has performed the basic design for KDDX and has been advancing toward a bid for the project. The KDDX project is a large-scale initiative aimed at securing six 6,000-ton Aegis ships with an investment of 7.8 trillion won by 2030.
Participants at the forum emphasized the need for government and defense industry cooperation to secure contracts for the maintenance, repair, and overhaul (MRO) of U.S. Navy vessels. Seok Jong-gun, head of the Defense Acquisition Program Administration, stated, "We will do our best to become one team with the shipbuilding industry." Oh Ji-yeon, head of the ship contracting team at the Defense Acquisition Program Administration, said, "The Defense Acquisition Program Administration will aim to enter the global market, particularly reinforcing exchanges and cooperation with U.S. authorities for entering the U.S. market."