Lee Jae-myung, the Democratic Party of Korea presidential candidate, announced a pledge to include shipbuilding as a strategic industry for future development to make Korea a "maritime power." The pledge includes plans to advance smart and eco-friendly future ship systems and ship manufacturing systems.

On the afternoon of Nov. 13, Lee Jae-myung, the presidential candidate of the Democratic Party of Korea, greets citizens at the Lotte Department Store square in Nam-gu, Ulsan, before a campaign event in the Daegu-Gyeongbuk (TK) region, known as a key battleground./Courtesy of News1

The candidate noted on Facebook on the 14th, "Shipbuilding has been a core industry driving Korea's exports and creating jobs," adding, "With five strategies for the future development of shipbuilding, I will create a maritime power that leads the world beyond being a shipbuilding powerhouse."

The candidate proposed several commitments for the shipbuilding industry: ▲ occupying the smart and eco-friendly future ship market ▲ supporting wind power vessels based on the "energy expressway" ▲ advancing ship manufacturing systems ▲ strengthening the competitive edge of small and medium-sized shipbuilders ▲ modernizing special ship construction ▲ fostering the ship maintenance, repair, and overhaul (MRO) industry.

The candidate said, "We will actively support the development of core technologies for eco-friendly fuel-powered ships, lead the smart ship market through verification support for autonomous navigation intelligent systems and commercialization of remote control systems," and added, "We will expedite the energy expressway project to grow the domestic market for offshore wind power vessels."

He emphasized, "Along with securing skilled labor, we will actively support tailored workforce training, including research and design specialists, and we will also improve their treatment," stating, "We will induce banks to issue advance payment guarantees (RGs) in a timely manner and expand the RG special guarantee by the Export Credit Insurance Corporation to support bidding activities."

The candidate also stated, "We will build a foundation for the shipbuilding industry, which is a key asset of the K-initiative, to ensure sustainable growth," adding, "The K-shipbuilding industry will lead Korea's growth and stand tall once again as a solid pillar of the regional economy."