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A rendering of HD Hyundai Heavy Industries' booth for the 2026 International Marine, Shipbuilding, and Coast Guard Exhibition. / Photo courtesy of HD Hyundai Heavy Industries

HD Hyundai Heavy Industries strengthens coast guard cooperation, targeting Latin American naval market

HD Hyundai Heavy Industries has set out to expand its naval defense exports by ramping up cooperation with the Korea Coast Guard and aggressively targeting the Latin American market. The company is advancing domestic offshore patrol vessel (OPV) construction capabilities while simultaneously accelerating its push into overseas naval markets, including Peru.

On June 18, HD Hyundai Heavy Industries announced its participation in the International Marine, Shipbuilding, and Coast Guard Exhibition, held from June 17 to 19 at Songdo Convensia in Incheon.

The biennial exhibition is the nation's only maritime-specialized event hosted by the Korea Coast Guard. Key players across the maritime industry—including representatives from the maritime, safety, aviation, port, logistics, and leisure sectors, as well as regular shipping lines—gathered to share cross-industry synergies, naval vessel modernization, and technical capabilities.

During the exhibition, HD Hyundai Heavy Industries set up a joint booth with HJ Shipbuilding & Construction and Kangnam Corporation. The booth showcased models of a 3,000-ton class OPV recently delivered to the Korea Coast Guard, alongside a 2,400-ton class export variant OPV designed for the Philippine Navy.

The showcased OPVs incorporate an AI-based multi-purpose mission platform. They are capable of executing a wide array of operations, ranging from territorial sea surveillance to search and rescue, as well as disaster relief. They feature extended cruising ranges and enhanced durability.

In tandem with the event, HD Hyundai Heavy Industries co-hosted the "Shipbuilding and Marine Partnership Seminar" with the Korea Trade-Investment Promotion Agency (KOTRA) on June 17. At the seminar, the company introduced its experience gained over the past two years in driving shipbuilding and naval defense projects in Peru, alongside pathways to integrate into the local supply chain.

The seminar brought together officials from the Peruvian Navy and the state-run SIMA Shipyard to exchange views on the Peruvian market environment, the Peruvian Navy’s modernization plans, the SIMA Shipyard's vessel construction projects, and HD Hyundai Heavy Industries' strategy to integrate into the Peruvian naval supply chain.

Furthermore, on June 18, HD Korea Shipbuilding & Offshore Engineering and the Korea Coast Guard signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) for "Patrol Vessel Construction Technology Exchange and Export Cooperation" to bolster R&D capabilities for patrol vessels and expand the export competitiveness of K-naval defense. Both sides agreed to establish a cooperative framework to advance patrol vessel technologies and sharpen export competitiveness by combining naval R&D capabilities with vessel operational expertise.

"HD Hyundai Heavy Industries has contributed to strengthening South Korea's maritime safety based on our long-accumulated experience in vessel construction and cutting-edge technology," said Joo Won-ho, Chief Executive Officer of the Naval & Special Ship Business Unit at HD Hyundai Heavy Industries. "We will continue to expand our technical cooperation with the Korea Coast Guard and do our utmost to sharpen our competitive edge in the global shipbuilding and naval defense markets, including Latin America." 

                                                                                                             Kim Han-seul