America Needs Korea's Shipbuilding Industry

More than 90% of world trade is carried out by sea. Energy sources, raw materials, semiconductors, and critical minerals depend on safe sea transportation. Countries that control the seas control the global economy, and countries that control the global economy shape the international order. The Korea-US alliance is entering a new stage of a broader maritime alliance beyond the traditional land-based security partnership. Although America has the world's most powerful navy, the competitiveness of its shipbuilding industry has decreased significantly. Since the end of the Cold War, America's shipbuilding capacity and naval expansion have been limited. America's decline in the shipbuilding industry is partly due to protectionist maritime policies. These policies have caused the gradual erosion of America's shipbuilding sector. The alliance between Korea and the US is seen as an important step for the security of maritime trade.