Kim Dong-kwan, Vice Chairman of Hanwha Group, met with John Phelan, the U.S. Secretary of the Navy, and others on the 30th of last month (local time) at Hanwha Philly Shipyard in Pennsylvania to discuss cooperation in the shipbuilding industry between South Korea and the United States.

According to Hanwha Group, Secretary Phelan and Russell Vought, Director General of the White House Office of Management and Budget, along with other U.S. government officials, visited the shipyard and toured key production sites. Vice Chairman Kim and David Kim, the representative of the Philly shipyard, guided them through the major facilities.

Kim Dong-kwan (fourth from the left), Vice Chairman of Hanwha Group, guides Russell Boat (second from the left), Director of the Office of Management and Budget, and John Phelan (third from the left), Minister of the U.S. Navy, through the main facilities of the Hanwha Philadelphia Shipyard on July 30 (local time). /Courtesy of Hanwha Group

Secretary Phelan and his group also met trainees learning welding techniques at the training academy within the shipyard. They reportedly expressed interest in automatic welding equipment brought from Hanwha Ocean's Geoje plant.

Immediately after their visit to the Philly shipyard, U.S. President Donald Trump announced the conclusion of tariff negotiations, which included South Korea-U.S. shipbuilding cooperation, according to Hanwha. Hanwha reported, "According to U.S. government sources, President Trump finalized the tariff deal after being briefed on the results of Director Vought's and Secretary Phelan's visit to the Philly shipyard."

Vice Chairman Kim noted regarding the Make American Shipbuilding Great Again (MASGA) project proposed by the South Korean government, "Hanwha, which has world-class ship design and construction capabilities, will lead the construction of new shipyards in the United States, training shipbuilding personnel, rebuilding the shipbuilding-related supply chain, and maintenance, repair, and overhaul (MRO) of ships, using the Philly shipyard as a foothold." Hanwha reported that Vice Chairman Kim also explained mid- and long-term business strategies and investment plans, requesting support and cooperation from the U.S. government.

Secretary Phelan said, "Establishing a foundation for the shipbuilding and marine industry is a top priority for the Trump administration and the U.S. Navy. I confirmed the modernization of the shipyard during my visit to Hanwha's shipyard in Korea three months ago."

Secretary Phelan visited Korea in April, where he toured Hanwha Ocean's Geoje office. During that time, he observed submarine and commercial ship construction areas, guided by Vice Chairman Kim, and also visited the MRO site of the USS Yukon of the U.S. Navy's 7th Fleet.

Since acquiring the Philly shipyard at the end of last year, Hanwha Group has been making equipment investments, process improvements, personnel training, and technology transfers. The group aims to increase its annual shipbuilding capacity from the current level of 1 to 1.5 ships to 10 ships by 2035.

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