Korea is seeking to expand its naval cooperation with the United States beyond maintenance, repair and overhaul (MRO) to the construction of U.S. support and combat vessels, as Washington looks to its allies to help ease constraints in its shipbuilding capacity. Korean shipbuilders have won 12 U.S. Navy MRO contracts since 2024, including five this year, according to Kim Il-dong, vice minister of the Defense Acquisition Program Administration (DAPA). But Kim said the significance of those contracts goes beyond the number of vessels serviced. “MRO is not an end in itself, but a gateway to broader cooperation,” Kim said during a policy seminar on Korea-U.S. defense industrial cooperation at the National Assembly, Wednesday. “The two countries should work to build on the experience gained through MRO and extend it to combat vessel maintenance and, eventually, shipbuilding." The seminar was co-hosted by the American Chamber of Commerce in Korea (AMCHAM) and the office of Rep. Yu Yong-weon of the People Power Party. Kim said Korean shipyards have been learning U.S. Navy procedures as we

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