HD Hyundai, EcoPrimeMarinePacific sign MOA to pursue Gunsan shipyard asset transfer
EcoPrimeMarinePacific and HD Hyundai Heavy Industries signed a memorandum of agreement on the 13th to pursue the asset transfer of the Gunsan shipyard, with a final contract to follow after due diligence. The move signals a potential rapid revival of a key regional asset that has long been sought by the Jeollabuk-do area.
The Gunsan shipyard is located in Gunsan city, North Jeolla Province, on a site that HD Hyundai Heavy Industries built in 2010 within the Gunsan National Industrial Complex on about 1.8 million square meters of land. The yard suspended operations in 2017 amid a downturn in shipbuilding and was reactivated in October 2022, currently producing about 100,000 tons of blocks annually.
Under the MOA, HD Hyundai Heavy Industries plans to place its block production orders at Gunsan for the next three years, while providing design services, raw-material procurement, and automation and smart-shipyard technology support as part of the broader collaboration. EcoPrimeMarinePacific, which owns HJ Shipbuilding as a subsidiary, is pursuing the asset transfer as part of its efforts to integrate Gunsan into a larger operational framework.
The deal also ties into broader Korea–United States defense and industrial collaboration. Supporters have argued that the MASGA project between the two countries could make Gunsan a national strategic base for U.S. Navy maintenance, repair and overhaul work, expanding Korea’s role in Western Pacific security and defense readiness. The development would intertwine shipbuilding, defense logistics, and regional military support networks.
An HD Hyundai Heavy Industries official said that transferring assets could enable renewed new-ship construction at Gunsan, and stressed that the company would continue to receive the same level of block supply after the transfer, aiming for a win-win for HDH, EcoPrimeMarinePacific, and Gunsan city.
EcoPrimeMarinePacific envisions operating Gunsan in conjunction with HJ Shipbuilding to elevate the yard into a global shipbuilding group, leveraging combined expertise and capacity to pursue a broader portfolio of vessels and related services.
Gunsan boasts Korea’s largest dry dock, 700 meters in length, enabling the simultaneous construction of large ships. Its annual assembly capacity stands around 250,000 tons, capable of building about 12 ships of the 180,000-ton bulk carrier class each year. The yard features a 1,650-ton Goliath crane and a 1.4-kilometer quay, underscoring its potential as a high-end, large-ship production hub.