What did Russell Vought say about South Korea and Japan in US shipbuilding cooperation?

Vought said the United States plans to work with Japanese and South Korean shipbuilders and wants to learn from how they make ships. He said that know-how should then be applied in the United States as part of efforts to rebuild the shipbuilding industry and the Navy.

Why did the White House official say companies should be rewarded for investing in the United States?

He said companies that come to the United States and make investments should be rewarded. He also said federal contracting opportunities should not be limited to the traditional prime contractors and that new shipyards, including brownfields and green fields, should be revitalized.

How much did South Korea commit for shipbuilding cooperation with the United States?

South Korea committed US$150 billion for shipbuilding cooperation with the United States. That pledge was described as part of its broader $350 billion investment commitment under last year’s trade agreement between the two countries.

White House official stresses shipbuilding cooperation with S. Korea, need to reward investors

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Summary

A senior White House official said in Washington that the United States wants shipbuilding cooperation with South Korea and Japan as it works to rebuild its shipbuilding industry and Navy. Russell Vought also said the administration wants to reward companies that invest in the United States and learn from how South Koreans and Japanese make ships. He cited Hanwha Group’s major investment in Philly Shipyard and South Korea’s US$150 billion shipbuilding cooperation commitment.

Key Facts

Russell Vought made the remarks at a forum hosted by the Hudson Institute in Washington.
He said the administration wants to open federal contracting opportunities beyond the prime contractors the U.S. government has traditionally worked with.
Vought pointed to South Korea’s Hanwha Group as making major investments to acquire Philly Shipyard in Philadelphia.
South Korea has committed US$150 billion for shipbuilding cooperation with the United States as part of its $350 billion investment pledge under last year’s trade agreement.
Vought said the United States wants to learn from South Korean and Japanese shipbuilders and apply that knowledge domestically.

By Yonhap

Published Oct 3, 2026 3:41 am KST

A national security multi-mission vessel is under construction at Hanwha Philly Shipyard in Philadelphia, Pa., U.S., July 16, 2025. Courtesy of Hanwha Ocean

WASHINGTON — A senior White House official on Friday underscored the need for shipbuilding cooperation with South Korea and Japan, as U.S. President Donald Trump's administration strives to rebuild the United States' shipbuilding industry and its Navy.

Russell Vought, director of the White House Office of Management and Budget, made the remarks during a forum in Washington, also highlighting the need to reward companies that come to the United States and make investments there.

"We're going to be doing ... with the Japanese and South Koreans," he said during the forum hosted by the Hudson Institute. "We want to learn from them. We want to see how they make ships and then apply it here."

Vought mentioned "major investments" by South Korea's Hanwha Group to acquire Philly Shipyard in Philadelphia, stressing the need to open up federal contracting opportunities to other companies rather than just "prioritizing the primes," firms that the U.S. government has traditionally worked with.

In addition, the official called for rewarding companies that invest in the U.S.

"I think we need to reward those companies that are coming and making the investment here in this country, and we're excited to see it," he said.

"We know there's a number of conversations out there to revitalize new shipyards, or either brownfields or green fields."

His remarks came as South Korea has committed US$150 billion for shipbuilding cooperation with the U.S. as part of its $350 billion investment pledge under last year's trade agreement between the two countries.

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