U.S. Ambassador Calls for Expanded US-Korea Shipbuilding Partnership after Geoje Visit

U.S. Ambassador to South Korea Michelle Steel toured the Geoje shipyard operated by Samsung Heavy Industries and used the occasion to promote greater cooperation between the two nations' shipbuilding sectors. In a post on X, she said that merging U.S. and Korean know-how could boost both industries, drive technological advances and generate employment opportunities. Steel thanked Samsung Heavy Industries, the world's fifth-largest shipbuilder by order book, for its hospitality and shared vision.

Her comments come as Seoul backs the U.S. "Make American Shipbuilding Great Again" program, which seeks to revive American yards. Earlier this year Samsung Heavy Industries opened the SHI-SDSU Advanced Maritime Center in San Diego, a joint effort with San Diego State University to explore AI-driven automation, robotics and green technologies for shipbuilding. The ambassador's remarks signal continued diplomatic and industrial ties aimed at modernizing the sector.