Rep. Lee calls for shipbuilding alliance with US Navy

Rep. Lee Un-Ju says that shipyards are no longer a matter for companies, but for nations (Source: Wikipedia commons)
South Korean lawmaker Rep. Lee Un-ju has proposed a new economic-security partnership with the United States centred on shipbuilding and industrial resilience. In a recent interview and policy forum, she urged the US Navy to conduct more maintenance work in South Korea, leveraging its advanced shipyards.
“The US Navy has faced maintenance bottlenecks,” said Lee. “Meanwhile, Korea has the engineers and the shipyards - what we lack is a security framework to make it happen.”
She proposed a new agreement modelled on the Status of Forces Agreement to designate secure zones for US ship maintenance. The plan is part of a broader effort to link Korea’s strategic industries to national security objectives.
Lee also warned of the risks of industrial “hollowing out”, introducing legislation in May to protect key sectors such as steel and shipbuilding. Her thousand-page development plan includes tax incentives, restructuring support, and vertically integrated supply chains.
“It’s no longer one company against another - it’s country against country in terms of industrial strength. It’s not just protectionism. It’s precision policymaking. Korea needs to respond with the same level of sophistication.”
Lee is a three-term Democratic Party lawmaker and chair of the party’s Future Economic Growth Strategy Committee.