Topic
South Korea
Every Vessel Hunter story on South Korea: 49 stories, from 9 June 2026 to 9 October 2026. Newest: "Busan manager IOB takes over four Arc4 LNG carriers once built for MOL". Each story links to the ships and ports it names, so a name in the text opens the record behind it.
Busan manager IOB takes over four Arc4 LNG carriers once built for MOL
Busan-based IOB has started operations with four 174,000 cu m Arc4 LNG carriers built for MOL and plans to add three to six Arc7 ships in 2027.
Pacifico Files a $1bn Investment Declaration for 2.79 GW Off Jindo
Pacifico Energy has filed an investment declaration worth more than $1bn with South Korea's trade ministry covering two offshore wind projects with 2.79 GW of combined planned capacity.
Yang Ming names YM Weight, its fourth 15,500 TEU LNG dual-fuel ship
Yang Ming has named YM Weight, the fourth of five 15,500 TEU-class LNG dual-fuel containerships from HD Hyundai Heavy Industries, for its Asia-West Mediterranean MS2 service.
Navios linked to four 10,100 teu boxships at HJ Shipbuilding worth $500m
HJ Shipbuilding & Construction has signed four 10,100 teu containerships worth KRW679bn for an undisclosed Oceania-based owner, which shipbrokers identify as Navios Maritime Partners.
LS Marine Solution books record $113m Shinan Ui cable contract
LS Marine Solution has converted its preferred-bidder position at the 390 MW Shinan Ui offshore wind project into a KRW 156.9bn contract with Hanwha Ocean.
Vale Charters Eight Tri-Fuel Newcastlemaxes From HMM in $3.5bn, 25-Year Deal
HMM has finalised an order for eight 210,000 dwt tri-fuel Newcastlemaxes at Yangzijiang, each chartered to Vale for 25 years under a KRW 4.7tn transportation agreement effective from 2030.
Crew of LNG Carrier Vivit Africa Report Cyberattack on Cargo Safety Systems
The crew of the Liberia-flagged Vivit Africa LNG say attackers took temporary control of steam pressure and safety valve systems, and the ship left the Adriatic without discharging its US cargo.
Hanwha Ocean faces a second billion-dollar claim over Arctic LNG 2 ships
LLC Arctic LNG 2 is seeking about 1.37 trillion won from Hanwha Ocean over three cancelled ice-class LNG carriers, on top of the shipowners' existing claim.
HMM Signs a 25-Year Iron Ore Contract With Vale Worth KRW4.7trn
HMM has taken a third long-term iron ore contract from Vale, worth about KRW4.7trn, running 25 years per vessel and served by eight 210,000 dwt newcastlemaxes from 2030.
Anemoi Courts Korean Yards as Rotor Sails Move Onto Container Ships
The British wind propulsion company says several major Korean shipyards have approached it about integrating rotor sails, as it prepares the first planned installation on a container vessel.
South Korea Takes Offshore Wind Site Selection Into State Hands With 25 GW Target
Seoul has approved a planned-siting regime that shifts offshore wind site selection from developers to the government, targeting 25 GW of preliminary development zones by 2031.
Tug TNS Catcher Capsizes While Turning a Box Ship off Busan, Leaving Six Missing
One seafarer has died and six are missing after the tug TNS Catcher rolled over and sank while assisting the 5,576 teu MSC Ikaria VI off Busan.
The Architect of STX Returns to Shipbuilding Through a Stake in SK Oceanplant
Kang Duk-soo, who built and then lost the STX empire, is returning to shipbuilding through the consortium taking control of SK Oceanplant for about $298m.
China Took 57.8% of Global LNG Carrier Orders in the First Half of 2026
Chinese builders captured 57.8% of the 90 LNG carrier orders placed worldwide in the first half of 2026, widening a gap that stood at 15 ships to 13 in the same period last year.
South Korea's Big Three Yards Are Running Above Their Rated Capacity
HD KSOE, Samsung Heavy Industries and Hanwha Ocean all ran at or above their nominal capacity in the first half of 2026, and are investing in docks, cranes and automation rather than new land.
Partial Strikes Begin at HD Hyundai's Ulsan Yard for the Fourth Year Running
Unionised workers at HD Hyundai Heavy Industries began a seven-hour stoppage on 2 September after mediators found the two sides far apart on pay and profit sharing.
HD Hyundai and Hanwha Take Their Shipbuilding Rivalry to US Yards
Hanwha owns Philly Shipyard and has bid up to $1.2bn for Austal's US arm; HD Hyundai has been examining yards in San Diego and along the Texas Gulf Coast.
K Shipbuilding books six product tankers worth $368m for 2028 delivery
K Shipbuilding has signed contracts worth about $368 million for six product tankers across two types, with sequential delivery starting in the first half of 2028.
Thamesborg Completes Northwest Passage a Year After Grounding
Wagenborg's Thamesborg has transited the Northwest Passage without incident a year after grounding on an uncharted shoal in Franklin Strait.
Two Crew Killed in Engine Room Fire on South Korean Product Tanker
Two crewmembers died in an engine room fire aboard a South Korean-flagged product tanker off Incheon; 16 of the 18 on board were rescued.
Orsted Shelves 1.4GW Incheon Offshore Wind Project in South Korea
Orsted has suspended its bid for what would have been South Korea's largest offshore wind project, off Incheon, after it failed internal investment criteria.
Typhoon Shuts Zhoushan Bunker Anchorages as Asian Lead Times Stretch
Typhoon-driven disruption has halted bunkering at two outer anchorages in China's Zhoushan hub, while supply tightens in Singapore and South Korean lead times stretch.
Ulsan Signs Arctic Route Agreement With Wagenborg and Korean Agency
Ulsan Port Authority has signed a tripartite agreement with Royal Wagenborg and the Korea Maritime Promotion Corporation to develop the port as a hub for Arctic route shipping.
HD Hyundai Launches Peruvian Navy Landing Ship Built at SIMA Yard
HD Hyundai Heavy Industries has launched Chimbote, the first of two landing support ships for the Peruvian Navy, built at the SIMA shipyard under a local joint production arrangement.
Ray Car Carriers Shifts $1bn PCTC Order From Korea to China
Israeli owner Ray Car Carriers is finalising a series of 8,600-car PCTC newbuildings at Guangzhou Shipyard International worth about $1bn, breaking a long reliance on Korean yards.
China Takes 80% of Container Ship Orders as Korea Fills Slots With Gas
Chinese yards took more than 80% of global container ship orders in the first half, around 380 vessels, while Korean builders filled 2029 slots with LNG carriers and other high-value gas tonnage.
Hanjin's Collapse Returns to Court as Korea Rethinks Rehabilitation Rules
A decade after Hanjin Shipping was declared bankrupt, the Seoul Rehabilitation Court is considering reducing its reliance on the court-appointed examiners whose valuations decide corporate survival.
Foreign-Build Plan for U.S. Warships Meets Congressional Resistance
A White House memorandum would allow the first two ships of a U.S. Navy series to be built in South Korea or Japan, drawing objections from lawmakers in shipbuilding districts.
Korean Container Line Holds A Ten Percent Operating Margin
A South Korean container carrier has reported first-half revenue of 6.121 trillion won with an operating profit of 623 billion won and net profit of 765 billion won, giving an operating margin of 10.2 per cent for the six months.
Korean Builder Takes Delivery Of Its First Owned Crude Carrier
A Korean shipbuilder's shipping subsidiary has taken delivery of a 320,000 deadweight tonne very large crude carrier, the first vessel it has owned outright since the unit was established.
Korean Shipbuilders Take Different Routes Into The American Market
One Korean shipbuilder is licensing modernisation expertise to an American yard while another has bought a shipyard outright and committed to a five billion dollar expansion.
Korean Owners Swap Twenty-Eight Ships To Concentrate Gas And Tanker Fleets
Two Korean owners under common ownership are exchanging twenty-eight vessels, doubling one fleet of gas carriers to thirty-two ships and concentrating the other in tankers.
South Korea's big three shipbuilders pass $30bn in first-half orders
South Korea's three largest shipbuilders have booked more than $30bn in orders in the first half of the year, pointing to a shipbuilding super-cycle.
South Korea Signs Destroyer Contract Ending Three-Year Shipbuilder Dispute
South Korea has signed a contract worth about 882 billion won with Hanwha Ocean for the first KDDX destroyer, ending nearly three years of dispute over which shipbuilder would get the work.
Stealth Maritime Lifts Korean Newbuilding Programme To Around 1.3 Billion Dollars
Greek owner Stealth Maritime, part of the Harry Vafias group, has returned to South Korea with a fresh order that takes its total investment in newbuilding projects to approximately 1.3 billion dollars.
PanStar prepares South Korea's first Arctic container voyage to Europe
Cargo is being booked for South Korea's maiden container voyage through the Northern Sea Route, with a 2,800 teu vessel chartered by PanStar Line due to sail from Busan on 22 August calling at Rotterdam, Hamburg and Gdansk.
South Korea sends its icebreaker Araon on an 83-day Arctic mission
South Korea has deployed its only icebreaking research vessel, Araon, on an 83-day Arctic expedition to collect data for safer future navigation.
Hanwha Systems begins sea trials of 30-tonne AI-powered unmanned warship
Hanwha Systems has launched a 30-tonne unmanned surface vessel and begun sea trials as it pushes into the autonomous naval defence market.
South Korea's 390MW Shinan-Wi offshore wind project starts construction
A 390MW offshore wind project in South Korea has entered construction after closing its financing, and will feature the country's first commercial offshore substation.
US Navy eyes South Korean yards for warships and tankers
The US Navy has approached major South Korean shipbuilders about building destroyers and fleet tankers, a step that could reverse a century of domestic-only construction.
US formally sounds out Korean yards on building navy warships
The Pentagon and US Navy have sent requests for information to HD Hyundai and Hanwha Ocean on combat vessels, the first such approach under the MASGA partnership.
Pacifico Energy Korea signs local supply deal for offshore wind cluster
Pacifico Energy Korea has signed an MoU with three local suppliers to support its 3.2GW Jindo offshore wind cluster and build a Gwangyang Bay supply hub.
HD Hyundai teams with Schneider Electric on floating data centres
HD Hyundai's shipbuilding arm has signed an MOU with Schneider Electric to jointly develop technology for data centres housed on floating offshore structures.
Pan Ocean keeps VLCC push rolling
South Korea's Pan Ocean has ordered two more VLCC newbuildings, ammonia-ready and priced at about $122m each, extending a rapid crude tanker expansion.
Korean shipyard moves closer to revival after nine-year hiatus
South Korea's dormant Gunsan Shipyard is edging back to production, signing a letter of intent for four aframaxes that could restart full shipbuilding after almost nine years.
HMM moves on $1.1bn bulker and gas carrier haul
HMM has unveiled a KRW1.7trn ($1.1bn) order for eight bulk carriers and two gas carriers, the latest step in the Korean major's drive to diversify beyond containers.
Engine shortage returns to haunt shipyards — now with AI bidding for the same parts
A shortage of marine engines is quietly capping shipyard output, echoing the 2007 boom. The new twist: AI data centres are now bidding for generator sets from the same supply chain.
South Korea's Heung-A books up to six chemical tankers in China
Heung-A Shipping has ordered up to six stainless steel chemical tankers at China's Wuchang Shipbuilding in a roughly $280m deal - its first newbuildings since 2016.
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