The government of South Korea will launch an interagency task force to prepare for closer ties with the United States in the shipbuilding industry, Yonhap reported citing the industry ministry announcement.
The announcement comes as U.S. President-elect Donald Trump hinted at expanding bilateral cooperation with South Korea in the shipbuilding sector once he takes office later this month.
"In order to lay the groundwork for cooperation in the shipbuilding industry between South Korea and the U.S., the government will launch an interagency task force to seek mutually beneficial collaboration," the ministry said.
South Korea will also devise a blueprint to foster the development of hydrogen carriers and ammonia-powered ships in the second half of 2025.
The government plans to establish strategies to strengthen the material, parts and equipment sectors for the shipbuilding industry, along with measures to promote related research and development activities, it added.
"The ministry plans to communicate closely with shipbuilding companies to maintain the country's competitiveness in the sector," it said.
South Korea's exports in the shipbuilding sector reached US$25.63 billion in 2024, up 17.6 percent from a year earlier.