HD Hyundai Establishes Korea-U.S. Maritime Investment Partnership with Cerberus to Revitalize the U.S. Shipbuilding Industry
▶ On Monday, August 25, HD Hyundai signed MOU to establish a multi-billion-dollar investment program
▶ Investing jointly with the U.S. Cerberus Capital, the program will support the acquisition and modernization of U.S. shipyards
▶ Signaling the first tangible outcome of the Korea-U.S. summit — “Opening a new chapter in the global shipbuilding industry.”
HD Hyundai has officially launched a multi-billion-dollar investment program to revitalize the U.S. shipbuilding industry — marking the first milestone in the ‘Make American Shipbuilding Great Again (MASGA)’ initiative.
HD Hyundai announced on Monday, August 25 (EST) that it had signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with Cerberus Capital and the Korea Development Bank (KDB) at the InterContinental The Willard in Washington, D.C., to establish a Korea-U.S. maritime joint investment program. The signing took place at the Korea-U.S. Manufacturing Partnership MOU ceremony, presided over by U.S. Secretary of Commerce Howard Lutnick and Korea’s Minister of Trade, Industry and Energy Kim Jung-kwan.
The ceremony was attended by Chung Kisun, Executive Vice Chairman of HD Hyundai; Frank Bruno, CEO of Cerberus; and Kim Bock-kyu, Vice Chairman and COO of KDB.
The investment program aims to revitalize and enhance maritime capabilities for the United States and allied nations, including U.S. shipbuilding, maritime infrastructure, and advanced marine technologies. Priority investment areas include the acquisition and modernization of U.S. shipyards; capital investment in equipment and component suppliers to reinforce supply chains; and the development of advanced shipbuilding technologies, including autonomous navigation and artificial intelligence (AI).
HD Hyundai will serve as both an anchor investor and a technical and industrial partner to help ensure the effective management of the program. In particular, leveraging its accumulated industrial expertise in the shipbuilding and maritime sectors, the company will evaluate the technological feasibility, competitiveness, and growth potential of investment targets, thereby contributing to the program’s decision-making process.
Cerberus will act as the program’s management company, overseeing overall investment strategy and operations. KDB will help ensure the successful operation of the investment program by providing support to Korean investors.
This MOU represents the first tangible outcome of Korea-U.S. cooperation in the shipbuilding sector following the bilateral summit. HD Hyundai anticipates that it will serve as a significant opportunity to reinforce strategic collaboration between the two countries in shipbuilding and to establish a new model of partnership.
HD Hyundai Executive Vice Chairman Chung Kisun said, “We believe that our partnership with Cerberus Capital will not only provide tangible support for MASGA, which aims to revitalize the U.S. shipbuilding industry, but also create new markets and growth opportunities for Korean shipbuilders. Leveraging our proven expertise and digital capabilities, HD Hyundai will support the modernization of U.S. shipbuilding and work with both nations to shape a new chapter in the global shipbuilding industry.”
Cerberus CEO Frank Bruno commented, “We’re proud to announce this first-of-its kind partnership that brings together the strengths of Cerberus and HD Hyundai to support this historic commitment to revitalizing the U.S. maritime sector. We believe our strategy can play an important role by bringing investments alongside operational and technical capabilities to high-impact opportunities. We would like to thank President Trump and the entire bi-partisan effort to advance maritime reindustrialization in the Unites States and allied nations, and we are extremely grateful for the strong support from South Korea and their bold commitment to MASGA.”
KDB Vice Chairman & COO Kim Bock-kyu added, “This investment program is a visionary model of cooperation in the shipbuilding industry, and a manifestation of the enduring trust and partnership between Korea and the United States. As a representative of the Korean financial industry, KDB is proud to play a central role in supporting this program to ensure its success.”
Meanwhile, HD Hyundai has been actively pursuing cooperation with the United States as part of its ongoing efforts to revitalize the shipbuilding industry. In April, the company signed an MOU for collaboration in the naval ship sector with Huntington Ingalls Industries, followed in June, by a commercial vessel partnership with Edison Chouest Offshore. Earlier this month, HD Hyundai also secured a contract to conduct the regular overhaul of the 41,000-ton dry cargo and ammunition ship, USNS Alan Shepard of the U.S. Navy’s 7th Fleet. <EOD>
※ Make American Shipbuilding Great Again (MASGA) Project
: A large-scale joint initiative between Korea and the United States aimed at revitalizing the U.S. shipbuilding industry. The project focuses on the modernization and advancement of U.S. shipyards, strengthening supply chains through investment in equipment and component suppliers, and development of next-generation technologies.
■ Photo description: On the 25th (local time), HD Hyundai signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) at the InterContinental The Willard in Washington, D.C., to establish a Korea-U.S. maritime joint investment program.
(From left: Kim Jung-kwan, Korea’s Minister of Trade, Industry and Energy; Kim Bock-kyu, Vice Chairman and COO of Korea Development Bank; Frank Bruno, CEO of Cerberus Capital; Chung Kisun, Executive Vice Chairman of HD Hyundai; Howard Lutnick, U.S. Secretary of Commerce)
2025.08.26