Trump Asks, "Can You Build 10 U.S. Warships?"... Is a 'K-Defense Jackpot' Coming as the U.S. Department of Defense Joins In?

Following U.S. President Donald Trump's inquiry to President Lee Jae-myung regarding whether South Korea could quickly build 10 U.S. warships, it has been revealed that the U.S. government has recently begun assessing the actual capabilities of the South Korean shipbuilding industry.

According to the defense industry, the U.S. Department of Defense and the U.S. Navy recently sent Requests for Information (RFI) to South Korean shipbuilders regarding combat ships and oil tankers, respectively.

An RFI is a procedure used by governments to gather information on pricing, delivery conditions, and other market data to establish procurement plans.

This marks the first time the U.S. side has assessed the capabilities of South Korean shipyards since discussions on the South Korea-U.S. shipbuilding cooperation, known as 'MAST,' began in earnest.

Given that President Trump asked President Lee about the shipbuilding capacity of the South Korean industry during the G7 summit last month, the industry believes that the U.S. government has initiated concrete working-level reviews through the Department of Defense and the Navy.

However, the issue lies in U.S. law.

Under current U.S. law, warships must be built within the United States.

Some are expressing expectations that moves to ease legal regulations regarding U.S. naval vessels could gain momentum.

Recently, the U.S. Senate Armed Services Committee passed a bill that would allow U.S. allies to build non-combat U.S. Navy vessels in their own countries.

President Trump has previously expressed his intention to cooperate with South Korea in the shipbuilding sector on several occasions.

During a summit in August last year, he requested that South Korea actively contribute to the reconstruction of the U.S. shipbuilding industry, stating, "I hope to have the opportunity to revive the U.S. shipbuilding industry in cooperation with South Korea."

Furthermore, late last year, he mentioned Hanwha Ocean and the Philly Shipyard while unveiling his so-called 'Golden Fleet' initiative.

Reported by Jung Da-eun | Video by Kim Na-on | Graphics by Lee Jung-ju | Produced by SBS Digital News
※ Please note: This article was translated by AI and may contain errors.