Korean Register (KR) celebrated its 65th anniversary on June 11 with a high-level technical seminar at the Four Seasons Hotel in Seoul, bringing together more than 280 participants from the government, shipbuilding, shipping, and marine equipment sectors. The event served as a platform for industry stakeholders to explore the strategic direction of Korea’s maritime competitiveness amid shifting global dynamics.

The seminar featured a panel discussion that addressed structural threats facing Korea’s shipbuilding and shipping sectors, and the growing need for coordinated policy responses. A recurring theme across the discussion was the urgent call for establishing a Korean-style maritime cluster to secure long-term industrial competitiveness.

SUNG Changkyung, Senior Vice President of HD Hyundai Heavy Industries, warned that Korea is rapidly losing ground to China in the bulk carrier market, with tankers and even high-value segments like VLCCs and LNG/LPG carriers increasingly under threat. He pointed to Japan’s maritime cluster, where shipbuilders, shipowners, cargo players, classification societies, and the government collaborate under a unified system of industrial and financial support, as a model Korea should adopt to safeguard its competitiveness.

LEE Hyungchul, CEO & Chairman of KR, echoed this view, highlighting the need for cargo-owner partnerships and policy intervention. “KOGAS played a pivotal role in developing Korea’s LNG shipbuilding technology by assigning cargo rights to domestic shipowners,” he said. “But with the rise of Delivered-at-Site (DS) contracts, those opportunities are vanishing. A government-led platform for shipper–carrier cooperation is now more important than ever.”

Panel discussion also emphasized the need for agility in navigating global disruptions, fostering cooperation among mid- and large-sized shipyards, and launching national R&D initiatives on alternative fuels and vessel lifecycle strategies.

KR stated that it will continue to work closely with industry partners and policymakers to advance sustainable maritime innovation and promote a collaborative industrial ecosystem.