President Donald Trump might be known as the “Art of the Deal” savant, but South Korea will get an Oval Office hat tip Monday for literally buying into it to the tune of $150 billion with its “Make America Shipbuilding Great Again” campaign.
During high-stakes trade talks last month, South Korean negotiators arrived with a symbolic gift: red baseball caps embroidered with the MASGA slogan and adorned with U.S. and Korean flags, The Wall Street Journal reported Sunday.
The gesture struck a chord with U.S. officials, including Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick, who called it a “great idea,” while appealing to MAGA mantras and Trump’s aim to bolster the American naval and shipping fleet.
The trade deal included tariff reductions, expanded car market access, and Seoul’s commitment to buy $100 billion in U.S. energy.
“The MASGA project contributed most significantly,” South Korea’s Finance Minister Koo Yun-cheol told the Journal of the breakthrough.
The pledge comes ahead of Monday’s Oval Office meeting between Trump and South Korean President Lee Jae Myung. On the agenda: tariffs, the role of U.S. troops on the Korean Peninsula, and Seoul’s defense spending.
Trump has repeatedly lamented America’s weakened maritime sector, promising to revive domestic shipyards with tax incentives and a new White House office dedicated to shipbuilding. Today, the U.S. accounts for less than 1% of global ship construction compared with China’s 60% and South Korea’s 22%.
With China rapidly expanding its navy and eying a potential conflict over Taiwan as soon as 2027, U.S. reliance on allies with robust shipbuilding industries has become a strategic priority.
South Korea is home to the world’s largest shipyard, operated by HD Hyundai in Ulsan, and is second only to China in global ship production. Seoul’s top builders, including HD Hyundai, Hanwha Ocean, and Samsung Heavy Industries, have already secured U.S. Navy repair contracts and are exploring American shipyard acquisitions to expand their footprint.
Hanwha last year bought the Philadelphia Shipyard, drawing praise from U.S. officials for doubling its workforce and boosting capacity. HD Hyundai has also advised American firms on scaling production and signaled interest in acquiring a U.S. shipyard.
Industry experts say the partnership could be critical if conflict erupts in the Indo-Pacific.
“The U.S. could have access to allied shipyards and bases all the way up and down the region,” Peter Lee of Seoul’s Asan Institute told the Journal. “That will be an advantage China simply doesn’t have.”
Lawmakers in Washington are weighing legislation that could make it easier for allies like South Korea and Japan to build and repair U.S. ships. Meanwhile, Seoul hopes that tying itself to Trump’s MASGA vision will deepen the alliance and give South Korea a competitive edge over regional rivals like Japan.
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