By Chang Dong-woo
WASHINGTON, Oct. 22 (Yonhap) -- U.S. Ambassador to South Korea Michelle Steel on Thursday highlighted the potential for greater shipbuilding cooperation between Seoul and Washington following a visit to a shipyard operated by Samsung Heavy Industries Co.
"By combining American and Korean expertise, we can strengthen our shipbuilding industries, drive innovation and create new opportunities for workers in both countries," she wrote in a post on social media platform X after visiting the Geoje shipyard, about 330 kilometers south of Seoul.
She thanked Samsung Heavy Industries, the world's fifth-largest shipbuilder in terms of its existing orders, for welcoming her and for sharing the company's vision for shipbuilding cooperation.
The remarks come amid South Korea's broader efforts to revive the U.S. shipbuilding industry under the MASGA, or "Make American Shipbuilding Great Again," initiative.
Earlier this year, Samsung Heavy Industries established a research center in San Diego to support the South Korea-U.S. initiative.
The SHI-SDSU Advanced Maritime Center, jointly launched with San Diego State University, was established to explore cooperation to support the revitalization of the U.S. shipbuilding industry in areas such as artificial intelligence (AI)-based production automation, robotics and eco-friendly technologies, according to the company.
This photo captured from the X account of the U.S. Embassy in Seoul on Oct. 22, 2026, shows Ambassador Michelle Steel (7th from L) during a recent visit to a shipyard of Samsung Heavy Industries in Geoje, South Korea.
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