KR hosted its Technical Seminar Commemorating the 66th Anniversary of KR's Founding on 11 June at the Four Seasons Hotel in Seoul, drawing some 200 participants from the domestic and international shipping, shipbuilding, and marine equipment industries, along with government officials.

Under the theme "Strengthening AI-Driven K-Maritime Leadership," the seminar marked a turning point in charting a strategic course for Korea's maritime industry — one aimed at securing its competitiveness and future direction in step with a global maritime community accelerating toward AI and digitalization.

In the keynote address, President of HD Korea Shipbuilding & Offshore Engineering Kim Hyungkwan diagnosed the sector's structural challenges — labor shortages, rising labor costs, and China's AI strategy — and underscored the need for AI-driven innovation. He presented software-defined ships and a future shipyard integrating design and production as core strategies, noting that the company is building a manufacturing innovation platform through open innovation with global technology firms.

Vice President of Microsoft Korea Yoo Hyunkyung then cited projections that AI agents will reach 1.3 billion by 2028, stressing that companies must move beyond individual AI use toward fundamental change across their work processes and organizational culture.

KR Executive Vice President Kim Daeheon closed the seminar with a presentation on KR's direction for technological innovation and the challenges ahead in strengthening Korea's maritime industry's AI competitiveness, highlighting KR's role in the digital era and the need for industry collaboration.
An anniversary ceremony and dinner followed, offering attendees further opportunity for exchange and cooperation.

In his welcoming address, Chairman & CEO Lee Yongsok said, "As KR marks its 66th anniversary, it is deeply meaningful to prepare for the future together with the industry amid the immense wave of digital transformation," adding, "I hope this seminar serves as a practical milestone for enhancing the future competitiveness of the domestic maritime industry and for achieving sustainable growth."

Building on the event, KR plans to further strengthen its ties with the maritime industry. It will provide reliable technical verification services to support the safe commercialisation of clients' eco-friendly and digital innovation technologies and will solidify its position as a trusted global technology partner leading the industry's paradigm shift — from decarbonization regulations to AI-based surveys and future ship design.