Minister Kim Jeong-kwan of the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy met with U.S. Senators Tammy Duckworth (Illinois) and Andrew Kim (New Jersey) on the 19th to discuss ways to strengthen Korea-U.S. industrial cooperation, including in shipbuilding.
Illinois and New Jersey are home to various corporations, including domestic logistics, appliance, and automotive parts companies, as well as the North American headquarters of large corporations in fields such as electronics, food, and machinery.
A Ministry official noted, "Minister Kim requested the senators' interest and support for domestic corporations that have invested in the U.S.," adding, "He emphasized the need for U.S. policies supporting investments in Korea to be implemented stably and consistently in the future to further expand investments between Korea and the U.S."
In particular, Minister Kim presented the case of the Philly Shipyard, located near New Jersey, as an example of expected cooperation in the shipbuilding ecosystem and workforce supply between New Jersey and Korea.
Minister Kim said, "Korea is a country with world-class shipbuilding capabilities and technology, and the U.S. is a trustworthy partner," adding, "I ask that Congress fulfill its role to deepen cooperation in shipbuilding between Korea and the U.S. in various areas such as merchant vessels and warships."
Minister Kim, Senator Duckworth, and Senator Kim agreed on the need for new policies and enhanced cooperation between Korea and the U.S. amid the rapidly changing trade environment, according to the Ministry.
The Ministry plans to thoroughly implement follow-up support measures for vulnerable sectors resulting from the Korea-U.S. tariff negotiations and prepare medium- to long-term measures to respond to the new trade environment and strengthen industrial competitiveness.