South Korea says U.S. may allow Korean-built warships
· UPIJuly 9 (Asia Today) -- South Korea's presidential office said Thursday the United States does not appear to rule out the possibility of building U.S. military vessels in South Korea as part of shipbuilding cooperation requested by U.S. President Donald Trump.
The comments raised expectations that talks between the two allies on ships and shipbuilding could gain momentum, alongside the joint shipbuilding cooperation project known as MASGA.
"We have the impression that the U.S. side is not ruling out construction in South Korea," a senior presidential official said during a briefing at the press center in Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia.
The official cautioned, however, that U.S. law distinguishes among warships, military support vessels and commercial-type vessels used for military support.
"The legal provisions differ somewhat depending on the type of vessel, so we need to review them," the official said.
President Lee Jae Myung met Trump on Tuesday on the sidelines of the NATO summit and held follow-up discussions on warship construction.
Asked about Trump's specific requests, the official said the conversation between the two leaders was not "detailed or systematically structured."
"We need to flesh out the details through further working-level consultations," the official said. "We need to identify and fill in the gaps that we do not yet know."
The official said South Korean and U.S. teams would review the matter and hold additional talks after returning to Seoul and Washington.
U.S. legal restrictions, including the Byrnes-Tollefson Amendment, which limits the construction of U.S. naval vessels in foreign shipyards, are expected to be a key variable.
"There is the issue of how to bypass or resolve current law," the official said. "There appears to be room for presidential action and several possible methods, but the matter also seems related to Congress."
The presidential office said South Korea plans to approach the talks by combining its shipbuilding competitiveness, bilateral investment cooperation and the MASGA project.
"We have a high level of shipbuilding capability, and there are areas where South Korea and the United States need to invest together," the official said. "With MASGA also in place, we will try to combine various elements well and pursue cooperation that meets expectations."
Separately, the presidential office said it would continue communicating with Washington after the U.S. State Department expressed concern over South Korea's revised Information and Communications Network Act.
"We need to explain a little more," the official said. "We will continue communicating to resolve differences by explaining that this is not discriminatory treatment, but a reasonable response to protect consumer interests."
-- Reported by Asia Today; translated by UPI
© Asia Today. Unauthorized reproduction or redistribution prohibited.
Original Korean report: https://www.asiatoday.co.kr/kn/view.php?key=20260709010003746