Secretary of the Navy John Phelan tours HD Hyundai Heavy Industries in Ulsan, South Korea, April 30, 2025. (U.S. Navy)
Secretary of the Navy John Phelan visited South Korea as part of his first international tour since taking office, meeting with senior officials and touring two of the country’s largest shipyards.
Phelan met Wednesday with acting Prime Minister Han Duck-soo and Adm. Yang Yong-mo, the South Korean navy’s chief of staff. The meetings focused on strengthening U.S.-South Korea-Japan defense cooperation, the Navy said in a news release that day.
Han, who announced his resignation Thursday, also discussed enhanced collaboration in high-end technology and shipbuilding and addressed concerns over “increased aggression” from China, according to the release.
Han is widely expected to run in the June presidential election following the impeachment of President Yoon Suk Yeol in December. Yoon was dismissed from office after a failed attempt to impose martial law.
Phelan, a vocal advocate for expanding U.S. shipbuilding capacity, has expressed interest in joint ventures with allies. His itinerary included visits to two of South Korea’s top shipbuilders, Hanwha Ocean Shipbuilding and HD Hyundai Heavy Industries.
During a stop in Japan ahead of his South Korea visit, Phelan described the South’s shipyards as “very, very efficient.”
“I’m eager to kind of see how they are set up and see if there are any ideas we can take from them and pass on to our colleagues in America,” he told Stars and Stripes on April 28 at Yokosuka Naval Base, Japan.
In South Korea, Phelan said cooperation with local shipyards is critical for keeping U.S. naval assets operational in the Indo-Pacific.
“Leveraging the expertise of these highly capable shipyards enables timely maintenance and repairs for our vessels to operate at peak performance,” he said in Wednesday’s release.
Hanwha recently completed repairs on the dry cargo ship USNS Wally Schirra — the first Military Sealift Command vessel repaired in South Korea, according to the Navy. The replenishment oiler USNS Yukon is also undergoing maintenance there.
HD Hyundai recently signed a memorandum of understanding with Huntington Ingalls Industries, the largest U.S. shipbuilder, to explore joint efforts in accelerating defense and commercial ship production, according to an April 7 news release from Huntington Ingalls.
Phelan began his trip Monday in Japan, where he toured Japan Marine United’s Isogo Works shipyard in Yokohama and met with senior Japanese officials, including Defense Minister Gen Nakatani.
