The United States has begun procedures to verify the capacity of Korean shipbuilders to construct naval vessels. It is seen as a move signaling an intention to purchase Korean-built ships. Following the setback from failing to win Canada's next-generation submarine program (CPSP), some assess that the defense industry may have found a new opening, while others advise focusing on building long-term cooperation with the United States.

As of the 8th, according to the government and the shipbuilding and defense industry, the U.S. Department of Defense (War Department) recently sent requests for information (RFIs) on warships to HD Hyundai Heavy Industries and Hanwha Ocean. The U.S. Navy also sent RFIs on replenishment oilers to HD Hyundai Heavy Industries, Hanwha Ocean, and Samsung Heavy Industries.

An RFI is the first step taken to gather information such as price and delivery terms for the purpose of formulating a plan to purchase a specific product. Since last year, when South Korea and the United States agreed to pursue MASGA (MASGA·Make American Shipbuilding Great Again), this is the first time the U.S. government and military have inquired with domestic shipbuilders about their warship capabilities.

HD Hyundai Heavy Industries, Hanwha Ocean, and Samsung Heavy Industries said that last month they each replied to the U.S. Department of Defense and the Navy with information including build track records, design personnel and capabilities, and annual construction capacity.

In the industry, there is speculation that construction of warships and replenishment oilers may be included in the $350 billion U.S.-bound investment project concluded last year between South Korea and the United States. At the time, the two countries agreed to use $150 billion of that investment for shipbuilding cooperation.

Coincidentally, the U.S. RFIs were sent around the time President Lee Jae Myung and U.S. President Donald Trump met at last month's Group of Seven (G7) summit. Announcing the results of his trip on the 19th of last month, President Lee disclosed that President Trump had asked, “Can you quickly build ten U.S. warships?”

The shipbuilding and defense industries expressed optimism. Amid concerns that the CPSP loss could lead to a slump in the defense market, they view the U.S. review of Korea's naval shipbuilding capacity as a new opportunity.

According to a Korea Trade-Investment Promotion Agency (KOTRA) report published last year, the United States plans to expand its fleet from 296 ships as of 2024 to 381 by 2054. It also projected that $1.075 trillion (1,620.3475 trillion won) would be invested to procure new ships.

An industry official said, “The United States currently prohibits the construction of naval vessels in overseas shipyards by law, but I understand there is a move to ease this by presidential order.”

Since acquiring the Philadelphia shipyard in Pennsylvania, Hanwha Ocean has been proceeding with procedures to obtain licenses for warship construction. HD Hyundai has partnerships with local shipbuilders such as Huntington Ingalls, while Samsung Heavy Industries has ties with firms including General Dynamics NASSCO.

That said, some caution that it is necessary to remain prudent until the United States shows full-fledged movement, such as by issuing a formal request for proposals (RFP). Yoo Ji-hoon, a research fellow at the Korea Institute for Defense Analyses, said, “An RFI does not mean a contract or the selection of a contractor,” adding, “As this is an initial procedure for market research, a cautious approach is required.”

Yoo added, “Only if future RFPs, bidding, relevant U.S. congressional statutes, security regulations, and local production requirements are met can this lead to an actual program,” advising, “Rather than focusing on whether there are short-term orders, it is necessary to concentrate policy efforts on building a mid- to long-term cooperation base linked to the United States' shipbuilding revitalization strategy.”