https://www.scmp.com/rss/521858/feed The latest news and top stories on Hanwha Ocean. A leading South Korean company in the maritime sector, Hanwha Ocean, headquartered in Geoje-si, specialises in shipbuilding, offshore plants, and naval vessels. They produce commercial ships like LNG carriers and container ships, offshore facilities including FPSOs, and specialty ships such as submarines and destroyers. Serving a global market, Hanwha Ocean is one of South Korea’s "Big Three" shipbuilders, noted for its advanced technology and... en https://assets.i-scmp.com/static/img/icons/scmp-meta-1200x630.png https://www.scmp.com Seong Hyeon Choi Seong Hyeon Choi Canada’s defence agreement with South Korea signals the two countries’ “middle-power answer” to increasing cooperation between Beijing and Moscow in the Arctic region and Washington’s pressure on its allies for defence burden sharing, according to analysts. The agreement, signed on February 25 as part of a 2+2 foreign and defence ministerial meeting, followed the security and defence cooperation partnership established by the two countries in October. According to a joint statement issued after... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/military/article/3345670/middle-powers-canada-south-korea-set-arctic-course-between-china-russia-and-us?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/military/article/3345670/middle-powers-canada-south-korea-set-arctic-course-between-china-russia-and-us?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 06 Mar 2026 06:00:21 +0000 Maria Siow Maria Siow Washington’s latest defence strategy of providing “more limited US support” to its allies is expected to damage domestic backing for leaders in Japan and South Korea and spur greater momentum among regional countries towards military self-reliance. Analysts also warn that such a realignment could lead to a “radical swing” in regional security calculations, and in the case of South Korea, weaken its deterrence against the North. In the National Defence Strategy (NDS) released by the US Defence... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3341560/why-us-defence-strategy-may-push-south-korea-japan-towards-radical-security-realignment?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3341560/why-us-defence-strategy-may-push-south-korea-japan-towards-radical-security-realignment?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 28 Jan 2026 10:28:25 +0000 Biman Mukherji Biman Mukherji Centuries ago, Indian merchants rode monsoon winds across the seas, their cargoes stitching together a maritime world stretching from East Africa to Southeast Asia. Today, as container ships queue outside clogged ports and great powers quarrel over access and tariffs, India is trying to sail back into that history – this time as a modern shipping and shipbuilding power. Standing before global investors late last month, a day after presiding over a glittering maritime industry showcase in Mumbai,... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3334556/india-races-rebuild-its-lost-maritime-muscle-we-are-against-clock?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3334556/india-races-rebuild-its-lost-maritime-muscle-we-are-against-clock?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 29 Nov 2025 00:00:10 +0000 Bloomberg Bloomberg South Korea is stepping up its outreach to Middle Eastern buyers as it pursues potential weapons contracts worth US$15 billion in the United Arab Emirates, seeking to build on its success in Europe and solidify its reputation as a dependable arms supplier. South Korean President Lee Jae-myung flew to Abu Dhabi for a summit with the UAE counterpart Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan on Tuesday, coinciding with the Dubai Air Show where Korea Aerospace Industries showcased its KF-21 fighter... https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/east-asia/article/3333393/riding-kf-21-jet-success-south-korea-chases-us15-billion-uae-arms-deal?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/east-asia/article/3333393/riding-kf-21-jet-success-south-korea-chases-us15-billion-uae-arms-deal?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 19 Nov 2025 08:09:28 +0000 Reuters Reuters Samsung Electronics, Hyundai Motor and other major South Korean manufacturers on Sunday unveiled domestic investment plans, as a US trade deal raised concerns that investment in the US could weaken manufacturing at home. Samsung Electronics will add a chip production line at its plant in the South Korean city of Pyeongtaek to meet rising demand amid the global boom in artificial intelligence, as part of the parent group’s 450 trillion won (US$310.79 billion) investments at home over the next... https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/east-asia/article/3332982/samsung-hyundai-announce-us310-billion-domestic-investment-plans?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/east-asia/article/3332982/samsung-hyundai-announce-us310-billion-domestic-investment-plans?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 16 Nov 2025 10:28:10 +0000 Sukjoon Yoon Sukjoon Yoon For US President Donald Trump to consent to South Korea building its own nuclear-powered submarines was unexpected – though a welcome decision for the many South Korean analysts who have long argued such vessels were urgently needed by the country’s navy. It will have a huge impact on the US alliance with South Korea and its neighbours, not least North Korea, which is apparently building its first nuclear ballistic missile submarine with Russian technical support: not just any nuclear-powered... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/asia-opinion/article/3332056/devil-details-us-agrees-south-korean-nuclear-powered-sub?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/asia-opinion/article/3332056/devil-details-us-agrees-south-korean-nuclear-powered-sub?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 10 Nov 2025 21:30:08 +0000 Carol Yang Carol Yang China has suspended retaliatory port fees on US-linked vessels for one year, following Washington’s pause of similar charges under its “Section 301” investigation targeting the Chinese maritime sector. After months of uncertainty over the rival port fees, which took effect on October 14, the shipping industry can finally breathe a sigh of relief as both sides formally confirmed the pause. In line with the outcomes of the US-China trade talks in Kuala Lumpur, the Ministry of Transport said the... https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3332194/china-us-suspend-rival-port-fees-latest-trade-war-thaw?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3332194/china-us-suspend-rival-port-fees-latest-trade-war-thaw?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 10 Nov 2025 09:01:40 +0000 Maria Siow Maria Siow The United States has given South Korea the green light to build nuclear-powered submarines – a landmark decision that could significantly boost Seoul’s naval capabilities and place it among a select group of nations with such assets. Analysts say the move could reshape Northeast Asia’s strategic landscape in ways that not only strengthen deterrence but also reduce the risk of open conflict, as Washington recalibrates its alliance priorities under President Donald Trump. Trump announced the... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3331790/how-us-nod-south-koreas-joining-nuclear-sub-club-could-reshape-strategic-landscape?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3331790/how-us-nod-south-koreas-joining-nuclear-sub-club-could-reshape-strategic-landscape?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 06 Nov 2025 10:30:14 +0000 Alex Lo Alex Lo “Hydraulic or magnets?” US President Donald Trump asked some baffled American troops stationed in Japan during his visit this week, and demanded to know which was better. That was during a speech aboard the USS George Washington, before hundreds of American servicemen and women who appeared to have no idea what their commander-in-chief was talking about. “You know, the new thing is magnets. So instead of using hydraulic that you can be hit by lightning and it’s fine, you take a little glass of... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/world-opinion/article/3330862/trumps-rare-earths-rant-us-soldiers-find-weary-world-policeman?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/world-opinion/article/3330862/trumps-rare-earths-rant-us-soldiers-find-weary-world-policeman?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 31 Oct 2025 12:30:09 +0000 Park Chan-kyong Park Chan-kyong US President Donald Trump’s declaration on Thursday that he would allow South Korea to build nuclear-powered submarines has been met with both caution and scepticism. Analysts said the announcement, while politically dramatic, left unresolved questions about feasibility, cost and the potential for nuclear proliferation. “I have given them approval to build a Nuclear Powered Submarine, rather than the old fashioned, and far less nimble, diesel powered Submarines that they have now,” Trump wrote... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/economics/article/3330853/doubts-surface-over-trumps-south-korea-nuclear-submarine-plan-whats-catch?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/economics/article/3330853/doubts-surface-over-trumps-south-korea-nuclear-submarine-plan-whats-catch?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 30 Oct 2025 05:10:30 +0000 Carol Yang Carol Yang US President Donald Trump said he had approved plans for South Korea to build a nuclear-powered submarine in Philadelphia – praising Seoul as a “serious partner” in efforts to revive US shipbuilding – in a social post released just ahead of his meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping. “South Korea will be building its nuclear-powered submarine in the Philadelphia shipyards,” Trump wrote on his Truth Social account on Thursday morning. “I have given them approval to build a nuclear-powered... https://www.scmp.com/economy/global-economy/article/3330850/trump-greenlights-south-korea-nuclear-submarine-plan-ahead-xi-meeting?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/economy/global-economy/article/3330850/trump-greenlights-south-korea-nuclear-submarine-plan-ahead-xi-meeting?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 30 Oct 2025 04:49:19 +0000 Carol Yang Carol Yang With US President Donald Trump having kicked off his visit to Asia, new collaborations in shipbuilding with Japan and South Korea are set to advance amid ongoing port-fee disputes with China, as Washington seeks to counter Beijing’s dominance in the maritime sector. The US government has committed to reviving its nearly defunct shipbuilding industry through strategic partnerships, with key allies Japan and South Korea – major shipbuilding countries – welcoming the initiative with open... https://www.scmp.com/economy/global-economy/article/3330484/counter-china-trumps-asia-trip-shore-maritime-alliances-japan-south-korea?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/economy/global-economy/article/3330484/counter-china-trumps-asia-trip-shore-maritime-alliances-japan-south-korea?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 27 Oct 2025 11:00:32 +0000 Seong Hyeon Choi Seong Hyeon Choi China’s sanctions on Hanwha Ocean will drive up the firm’s costs in the medium term but may also end up boosting South Korean ties with the US over the long term as Washington seeks to expand naval shipbuilding capacity, analysts said. Last week, the Chinese commerce ministry announced it had imposed sanctions on five US-based affiliates of Hanwha Ocean, one of South Korea’s largest shipbuilding companies. The ministry alleged that Hanwha had supported Washington’s investigation into Chinese... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/military/article/3330219/chinese-sanctions-will-cost-south-korean-shipbuilder-could-boost-us-ties?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/military/article/3330219/chinese-sanctions-will-cost-south-korean-shipbuilder-could-boost-us-ties?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 25 Oct 2025 04:00:12 +0000 Bochen Han,Mia Nurmamat Bochen Han,Mia Nurmamat US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent confirmed plans to speak with Chinese Vice-Premier He Lifeng on Friday in a further sign of easing tensions ahead of a potential meeting between the two countries’ leaders. “The vice-premier, who is my counterpart, and I will be speaking this evening at around 8.30, 9 o’clock,” Bessent said at the White House on Friday. The Treasury secretary added that He will also join him and a delegation in Malaysia “probably a week from tomorrow” to prepare for a meeting... https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3329483/us-china-tensions-ease-bessent-confirms-call-counterpart-he-lifeng?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3329483/us-china-tensions-ease-bessent-confirms-call-counterpart-he-lifeng?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 17 Oct 2025 20:52:36 +0000 Brian Rhoads,Raymond Ma Brian Rhoads,Raymond Ma China imposed sanctions on American units of Hanwha Ocean, accusing the South Korean shipbuilder of cooperating with US efforts to undermine the Chinese maritime sector. Five Hanwha businesses were placed on a blacklist, including a Philadelphia shipyard, preventing anyone in China from dealing with them, according to a statement from China’s Ministry of Commerce on Tuesday. The Ministry of Transport also began probing a 2024 US Section 301 investigation of Chinese shipbuilders and whether third... https://www.scmp.com/plus/article/3329101/us-china-trade-war-drags-south-korean-shipbuilder?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/plus/article/3329101/us-china-trade-war-drags-south-korean-shipbuilder?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 15 Oct 2025 09:01:15 +0000 Seong Hyeon Choi Seong Hyeon Choi The Philippines is reportedly looking to acquire an anti-ship ballistic missile developed by South Korean defence giant Hanwha Aerospace. Analysts said such a move would indicate Seoul’s lean towards Washington’s Indo-Pacific policies and possible rising profile in regional defence cooperation with fellow US allies. The Philippines’ potential purchase of the South Korean system arises at a time when China imposed sanctions on the Korean shipbuilding sector. According to a report on Monday by the... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/military/article/3329106/south-korean-defence-giant-hit-chinese-sanctions-offers-anti-ship-missile-manila?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/military/article/3329106/south-korean-defence-giant-hit-chinese-sanctions-offers-anti-ship-missile-manila?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 15 Oct 2025 09:00:09 +0000 Ji Siqi,Mandy Zuo Ji Siqi,Mandy Zuo With trade tensions between China and the United States reignited less than two weeks before a major political gathering in Beijing, Chinese scholars said the flare-up could provide a common cause for the country to rally behind as policymakers take steps to protect technological development and national security. “Pressure, whether from internal or external sources, has the potential to foster unity,” said Yang Jianwen, a senior economic researcher at the Shanghai Academy of Social Sciences.... https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3328967/us-china-trade-war-hotspots-could-put-fire-beijings-belly-scholars?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3328967/us-china-trade-war-hotspots-could-put-fire-beijings-belly-scholars?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 15 Oct 2025 03:00:19 +0000 Carol Yang,Sylvia Ma Carol Yang,Sylvia Ma Beijing has announced sanctions against a US ally over its alleged role in constraining China’s maritime and shipbuilding industries – marking an escalation in tensions in the strategic sector. The move came as Washington enforced port fees targeting China-built or operated vessels on Tuesday, and follows a commitment Beijing made in a previous regulatory update. China placed five US-based subsidiaries of the South Korean shipping giant Hanwha Ocean – including Philly Shipyard, which the firm... https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3328899/china-sanctions-five-us-subsidiaries-south-korean-shipping-giant?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3328899/china-sanctions-five-us-subsidiaries-south-korean-shipping-giant?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 14 Oct 2025 04:12:28 +0000 SCMP’s Asia desk SCMP’s Asia desk The eldest son of Samsung Group chairman Lee Jae-yong, heir to one of South Korea’s richest families, has enlisted to become a naval officer, one of the most demanding military roles in the country. In doing so, Lee Jee-ho joins a growing cohort of scions of family-run conglomerates who are opting for longer, more demanding military service than the average conscripts in South Korea. Some observers see the trend as a calculated effort by the chaebol heirs to counter opinions of their privilege... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/people/article/3326024/samsung-heir-enrols-be-south-korean-naval-officer-sparking-national-service-debate?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/people/article/3326024/samsung-heir-enrols-be-south-korean-naval-officer-sparking-national-service-debate?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 18 Sep 2025 11:58:18 +0000 Carol Yang Carol Yang South Korea has pledged US$150 billion to help its shipbuilders enter the US market as part of its new trade deal with Washington, a move that could help America revive its shipbuilding industry and counter China’s dominance in the sector. US President Donald Trump announced on Wednesday that the United States and South Korea had agreed a “full and complete” trade deal, which would see the US impose a 15 per cent tariff on South Korean goods and receive US$350 billion of investment from its... https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3320297/behind-trumps-south-korea-deal-plan-transform-global-shipbuilding?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3320297/behind-trumps-south-korea-deal-plan-transform-global-shipbuilding?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 31 Jul 2025 22:00:08 +0000 Carol Yang Carol Yang As the United States vows to curb China’s dominance in shipbuilding – despite its domestic capacity being nearly nonexistent – South Korea and Japan are looking to benefit from the rivalry and reclaim their competitive edge. South Korea’s president, Lee Jae-myung, who took office a month ago, campaigned on supporting the industry – which he described as being “in major crisis”. “Shipbuilding has been a core industry driving Korea’s exports and creating jobs,” he said in a social media post on... https://www.scmp.com/economy/global-economy/article/3316971/south-korea-japan-step-us-targets-chinas-shipbuilding-industry-can-they-succeed?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/economy/global-economy/article/3316971/south-korea-japan-step-us-targets-chinas-shipbuilding-industry-can-they-succeed?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 05 Jul 2025 02:00:17 +0000