US official spotlights shipbuilding cooperation, Network Act concerns in Shipbuilding News 02/04/2026 A senior US State Department official said she gained fresh insight into the growing demands of naval architecture and workforce development during a shipbuilding-focused roundtable in Seoul on Wednesday, underscoring Washington’s push to deepen cooperation with South Korea in the sector. Sarah Rogers, US undersecretary of state for public diplomacy, said in a Wednesday post on X that she “learned tons about the demands — and tremendous potential — of naval-architecture engineering and workforce development” during the roundtable hosted by the US Embassy in Seoul, the previous day. Sarah Rogers (left), US undersecretary of state for public diplomacy, speaks during a shipbuilding-focused roundtable held at the US Embassy in Seoul on Tuesday, in this photo posted on her X account on Wednesday. (@UnderSecPD, X) Sarah Rogers (left), US undersecretary of state for public diplomacy, speaks during a shipbuilding-focused roundtable held at the US Embassy in Seoul on Tuesday, in this photo posted on her X account on Wednesday. (@UnderSecPD, X) A senior US State Department official said she gained fresh insight into the growing demands of naval architecture and workforce development during a shipbuilding-focused roundtable in Seoul on Wednesday, underscoring Washington’s push to deepen cooperation with South Korea in the sector. Sarah Rogers, US undersecretary of state for public diplomacy, said in a Wednesday post on X that she “learned tons about the demands — and tremendous potential — of naval-architecture engineering and workforce development” during the roundtable hosted by the US Embassy in Seoul, the previous day. “The United States is committed to advancing our maritime industry and building a highly skilled U.S. maritime workforce,” Rogers wrote, adding that partnerships with South Korean shipbuilding experts across academia, industry and government, including work-exchange programs, would help strengthen innovation and collaboration. Her remarks come as Washington moves to rebuild its domestic shipbuilding base while leveraging South Korea’s global competitiveness in the sector, an area increasingly linked to economic security and defense readiness. Shipbuilding cooperation was identified as a key pillar in last year’s South Korea-US Joint Fact Sheet drawn up after bilateral summit agreements between the two countries. Under the framework, Seoul pledged to channel part of its $350 billion investment package into strategic industries in the US, including shipbuilding, as Washington seeks to revitalize its maritime industrial capacity. The initiative reflects US concerns over shrinking domestic shipyard capacity and workforce shortages, particularly in naval construction, at a time when maritime capabilities are seen as critical to countering China’s naval expansion and ensuring resilient supply chains. Rogers’ itinerary in Seoul included leading the second South Korea-US public diplomacy dialogue on Wednesday, where she met with her South Korean counterpart, Deputy Minister for Public Diplomacy Lim Sang-woo, to discuss bilateral cooperation. Following the talks held at the Foreign Ministry in Seoul, Rogers wrote on X that “public diplomacy is where policy meets people.” She added that the two sides signed a memorandum of cooperation to launch joint celebrations marking the 250th anniversary of US independence. Rogers arrived in Seoul on