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US military officials visit HD Hyundai shipyard to assess shipbuilding capabilities

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Summary

Senior U.S. Navy and Marine Corps officials visited HD Hyundai Heavy Industries’ shipyard in Ulsan on Nov. 4 to assess its naval shipbuilding capabilities. The visit took place as Seoul and Washington seek to revive the U.S. shipbuilding industry through the MASGA initiative. The delegation also assessed opportunities to strengthen maritime sustainment, operational readiness and the Korea-U.S. alliance. In October, HD Hyundai agreed with Kiewit to establish a joint venture to build a U.S. shipyard.


Key Facts

  • The delegation included Brendan P. Rogers, assistant secretary of the U.S. Navy for energy, installations and environment; Lt. Gen. Andrew M. Niebel, deputy commandant for installations and logistics; and Maj. Gen. Valerie A. Jackson, commander of U.S. Marine Corps Forces Korea.
  • A Pentagon Defense Visual Information Distribution Service caption said the officials assessed naval shipbuilding capabilities, installation infrastructure and logistics support across South Korea.
  • HD Hyundai and Kiewit plan to begin construction of their U.S. shipyard joint venture next year and target full-scale operations in 2029.
By Yonhap
  • Published Nov 8, 2026 9:35 pm KST
Brendan P. Rogers, fourth from left, assistant secretary of the U.S. Navy for energy, installations and environment; U.S. Marine Corps Lt. Gen. Andrew M. Niebel, fifth from left, deputy commandant for installations and logistics; and U.S. Marine Corps Maj. Gen. Valerie A. Jackson, second from left, commander of U.S. Marine Corps Forces Korea, pose with officials of Korean shipbuilder HD Hyundai Heavy Industries during a visit to a HD Hyundai shipyard in Ulsan, Wednesday, in this photo uploaded to the Pentagon's Defense Visual Information Distribution Service. Yonhap

Brendan P. Rogers, fourth from left, assistant secretary of the U.S. Navy for energy, installations and environment; U.S. Marine Corps Lt. Gen. Andrew M. Niebel, fifth from left, deputy commandant for installations and logistics; and U.S. Marine Corps Maj. Gen. Valerie A. Jackson, second from left, commander of U.S. Marine Corps Forces Korea, pose with officials of Korean shipbuilder HD Hyundai Heavy Industries during a visit to a HD Hyundai shipyard in Ulsan, Wednesday, in this photo uploaded to the Pentagon's Defense Visual Information Distribution Service. Yonhap

Senior U.S. Navy and Marine Corps officials have visited Korean shipbuilding giant HD Hyundai Heavy Industries' shipyard to assess its naval shipbuilding capabilities, photos showed Sunday.

Their Nov. 4 visit to the shipyard in the southeastern Korean city of Ulsan came as Seoul and Washington are jointly seeking to revive the U.S. shipbuilding industry under the MASGA, or "Make American Shipbuilding Great Again," initiative.

"The visit brought together senior U.S. Navy and Marine Corps leaders to assess naval shipbuilding capabilities, installation infrastructure and logistics support across South Korea," read a photo caption of one of the uploaded photos on the Pentagon's Defense Visual Information Distribution Service (DVIDS).

The delegation included Brendan P. Rogers, assistant secretary of the U.S. Navy for energy, installations and environment; U.S. Marine Corps Lt. Gen. Andrew M. Niebel, deputy commandant for installations and logistics; and U.S. Marine Corps Maj. Gen. Valerie A. Jackson, commander of U.S. Marine Corps Forces Korea.

As part of the itinerary, the delegation also assessed opportunities to strengthen maritime sustainment, enhance operational readiness and reinforce the Korea-U.S. alliance, according to DVIDS.

In October, HD Hyundai signed an agreement with U.S. engineering and construction company Kiewit to establish a joint venture to build a new shipyard in the United States, with plans to begin construction next year and full-scale operations in 2029.

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