U.S. President Donald Trump suggested on July 15 (local time) that the United States might purchase warships from abroad, as he discussed cooperation with South Korea to bolster the U.S. Navy's capabilities.

Given that President Trump asked the South Korean president during the G7 summit last month whether South Korea could quickly build 10 warships, attention is focused on whether he will take independent measures to accelerate shipbuilding cooperation between the two countries.

Speaking at the Defense Innovation Summit held at the U.S. Army War College in Pennsylvania, President Trump emphasized the need to expand U.S. naval power, stating, "We will probably be looking at some of the companies that are coming in from South Korea and other places."

"They are working with us on ships," President Trump added, noting, "We will also be buying some ships that are built outside of the region."

He continued, "We need a lot of ships for the Navy. Our ships are aging, and we have been hands-off."

While it is difficult to definitively conclude that President Trump's reference to "ships built outside of the region" refers to vessels constructed outside the United States, observers suggest the remark could be made with the intention of building warships abroad, considering his request to the South Korean president last month to "quickly build 10 U.S. warships."

A senior official from the South Korean presidential office also stated on July 9 regarding the request for naval vessels, "We are under the impression that (President Trump) is not ruling out the possibility of building them in South Korea."

During his speech, President Trump mentioned, "We are going to build two National Security Multi-Mission Vessels (NSMV) at the beautiful and historic Philadelphia Shipyard," while meeting with officials and noting the project is worth $1.5 billion.

This appears to refer to the project won by Hanwha Philly Shipyard.

He added that "a lot of ships will be built there," and that he is considering purchasing ships separately from companies that come to the U.S. to build them.

The United States, under the Burns-Tollefson Act, generally prohibits the construction of naval vessels in foreign countries.

The South Korean government and the shipbuilding industry are hopeful that President Trump will use his administrative authority to grant an exception allowing U.S. Navy ships to be built in South Korea.

The two countries have already agreed to invest $150 billion in shipbuilding cooperation as part of a $350 billion investment package in the U.S.

The Korea-U.S. Shipbuilding Cooperation Center is scheduled to open in Washington, D.C., on July 23.

During the speech, President Trump announced a new $10 billion defense investment in Pennsylvania, emphasizing that it would create over 4,000 jobs.

"The workers of Pennsylvania will build the ships, submarines, trucks, weapons, and industries that keep America the most powerful nation in the history of the world," President Trump added.

Pennsylvania is a key battleground state in elections.

President Trump's visit to Pennsylvania to announce the new defense investment plan is analyzed as a move conscious of voters ahead of the midterm elections in November.

The event was attended by leaders of major U.S. defense and investment firms, as well as Michael Coulter, CEO of Hanwha Defense USA.

This can be interpreted as evidence of the Trump administration's interest in the shipbuilding capabilities of South Korean firms.

"I am very grateful for the opportunity to build the radar ships that the President announced today," CEO Coulter said. "These ships will play a key role in defending the homeland from missile threats."

He continued, "Our shipyard in South Korea is building about one ship per week," adding, "We have plans to transfer this capability to Philadelphia," highlighting the shipbuilding capacity of Hanwha Philly Shipyard.

The event was also attended by U.S. Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Dan Kane, JPMorgan Chase CEO Jamie Dimon, Lockheed Martin CEO Jim Taiclet, and Boeing CEO Kelly Ortberg.

While introducing General Dynamics Chairman Phebe Novakovic, President Trump said, "They make the greatest submarines in the world," adding, "You just have to build them a little faster. Can you build them faster? We need a little more speed."

This is seen as an expression of frustration regarding the reality that the production of strategic assets is not moving as quickly as expected.

It also appears to reflect the situation where U.S. weapon stockpiles were depleted rapidly during the war with Iran, while the pace of replenishment has been slow.

(Photo: AP, Yonhap News)