Busan, lawmakers and industry to discuss building marine MRO ecosystem

Busan city government, the office of Assembly member Song Ok-ju and Hanwha Ocean will co-host a National Assembly forum on building a marine MRO and ship repair cluster for the MASGA era on Thursday afternoon at the National Assembly Library, with the Korea Shipowners' Association serving as a supporting sponsor.

The forum was organized to discuss Korea-US shipbuilding cooperation in response to the Donald Trump administration's push to expand naval vessel maintenance, repair and overhaul (MRO) operations and the full-scale launch of the MASGA project, as well as to address growing demand for eco-friendly vessel retrofits driven by tightening International Maritime Organization (IMO) environmental regulations. MASGA — short for "Make American Shipbuilding Great Again" — refers to a shipbuilding cooperation package worth around $150 billion that South Korea has proposed to the United States.

At the forum, Kwon Hyo-jae, chief executive of COR Energy Insight, will present on market shifts and response strategies under the global regulatory environment, under the theme of marine MRO and eco-friendly vessel retrofit demand and challenges. Ahn Seung-hyeon, an associate research fellow at the Korea Maritime Institute's port industry research division, will then outline directions for developing national hub infrastructure and fostering the marine MRO industry, under the theme of building a ship repair complex and nurturing the marine MRO sector.

The panel discussion will be moderated by Yang Jong-seo, a senior researcher at the Export-Import Bank of Korea's overseas economic research institute. Park Dong-seok, director of Busan's advanced industries bureau, will propose a Busan-centered master plan for an irreplaceable marine MRO ecosystem. Kim Dae-sik, an executive at Hanwha Ocean, will address strengthening global marine MRO competitiveness, while Kim Ho-seung, a director at the Busan Shipbuilding and Marine Equipment Industry Cooperative, will focus on support measures for the shipbuilding parts and equipment sector.

Lee Gyeong-hun, a division chief at the Defense Acquisition Program Administration, will discuss plans to advance naval vessel MRO projects under the defense innovation cluster initiative. Lee Di-do, a division chief at the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy, will address strengthening the global competitiveness of small and mid-sized shipbuilders in naval MRO. Woo Bong-chul, a division chief at the Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries, will outline the direction for developing a ship repair complex at Busan New Port. Together, the three officials will discuss cooperative tasks for fostering the marine MRO industry.

Busan city government plans to share the region's strengths — including port infrastructure, a shipbuilding equipment industry base and ship repair expertise — and to reinforce the foundation for a Busan-centered marine MRO and ship repair ecosystem.