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President Donald Trump said Wednesday that his administration will "probably" look to South Korean and other companies for shipbuilding cooperation as part of efforts to reinforce the United States Navy, according to Yonhap News Agency.

Speaking at the Defense and Innovation Summit at the U.S. Army War College in Carlisle, Pennsylvania, Trump said: "We have to build our Navy ... We got to get it going. So, we're going to probably look at some of these companies that are coming in from South Korea and other places, and they're working with us on ships."

He added that the U.S. will also "build" and "buy some ships that are made outside of the area," noting that "our ships are getting older, and we really got out of that business."

The remarks follow reports that Trump asked South Korean President Lee Jae Myung during last month's Group of Seven summit in Evian-les-Bains, France, whether Seoul could rapidly build 10 warships for the U.S., a claim carried by the South China Morning Post. The two leaders also discussed the issue again at a dinner of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization summit in Ankara earlier this week, according to Yonhap.

Coverage comparison

The South China Morning Post framed the development as part of Washington's broader effort to refresh its ageing naval fleet by tapping into South Korea's shipbuilding expertise. The outlet reported that the U.S. faces long-standing problems in its own industry, including chronic construction delays, cost overruns, shortages of skilled workers and supply chain constraints. It also quoted analyst Doo Jin-ho, director of the Eurasia Research Centre at the Korea Research Institute for National Strategy, who said the cooperation reflects Washington's effort to address persistent problems in U.S. shipbuilding.

Yonhap, South Korea's leading wire service, reported the request and the subsequent discussions from a more neutral angle. It quoted a South Korean presidential official, speaking on condition of anonymity in Ulaanbaatar, who said Trump does not appear to rule out the possibility of having the ships built in South Korea. The official added that it remains unclear exactly how Trump wants the ships built and that working-level discussions would be needed to flesh out the details.

Yonhap also reported Trump's Wednesday remarks directly, noting that he discussed shipbuilding cooperation with Lee during their encounter at the G7 summit in France.

Key claims

  • Trump asked South Korea to build military vessels during the Group of Seven summit in Evian-les-Bains, France, as reported by both Yonhap and the South China Morning Post.
  • The two leaders discussed the issue again at a NATO summit dinner in Ankara, according to Yonhap.
  • A South Korean presidential official stated that Trump does not rule out the possibility of having the ships built in South Korea, as reported by Yonhap.
  • The South China Morning Post reported that Trump asked Lee if Seoul could rapidly build 10 warships for the U.S., a claim carried by a single outlet and not yet independently verified.
  • The U.S. is seeking to refresh its ageing naval fleet and faces problems in its own shipbuilding industry, including construction delays and cost overruns, according to the South China Morning Post.
  • Trump said his administration will "probably" look at South Korean and other companies for shipbuilding cooperation, as reported by Yonhap.

Perspectives

U.S. administration: President Trump emphasized the need to build more ships for the Navy, saying the U.S. has "the greatest navy in the world" but that its ships are getting older and the country "really got out of that business." He indicated openness to foreign cooperation, including from South Korea and other places.

South Korean presidential office: An unnamed official accompanying President Lee said Trump does not appear to rule out building the ships in South Korea, while cautioning that details remain unclear and would require working-level discussions.