South Korea Ready To Bolster Perak’s Shipbuilding Ecosystem - Ambassador Yeo

By Ahmad Syabil Sultan Noordin Ahmad

KUALA LUMPUR, April 8 (Bernama) -- South Korea has expressed its readiness to become a key strategic partner in empowering the maritime and shipbuilding industry in Perak, positioning the state as a competitive regional hub for high-tech maritime sector.

The country's Ambassador to Malaysia Yeo Seung-bae said South Korea’s shipbuilding industry, which possesses world-class technological capabilities and extensive operational know-how, sees immense potential for substantive cooperation with Malaysia, particularly in Lumut.

He emphasised that South Korean companies have expressed a strong desire to support the development of the shipbuilding ecosystem in Perak should cooperation projects with Lumut Naval Shipyard (LUNAS) be realised.

"(South) Korean companies have clearly expressed their strong willingness, should a Korean company be given by the Malaysian government an opportunity to cooperate with LUNAS, to take this opportunity as a starting point to actively and substantively support the development of Malaysia’s shipbuilding ecosystem, particularly in Perak," he said in an exclusive written interview with Bernama, today.

According to Yeo, the proposed areas of cooperation include workforce training, technology transfer for local shipyards and strengthening capabilities in maintenance, repair, and overhaul (MRO).

Furthermore, he noted that the partnership aims to expand the participation of local small and medium enterprises (SMEs) in the supply chain for maritime equipment and materials.

His visit to the LUNAS shipyard in Lumut reaffirmed Seoul’s confidence in the future of the maritime industry in the area, which is currently being developed as the Lumut Maritime Industrial City (LuMIC).

"This visit reaffirmed that Malaysia, especially the Lumut Maritime Industrial City in Perak has strong potential to develop into a key regional hub for the maritime and shipbuilding industries," he said.

Commenting on Perak’s strategic importance, Yeo described the state as a "central pillar" of future logistics networks due to its location connecting the Klang Valley in the south and Penang in the north.

Yeo earlier paid a courtesy call on the Menteri Besar of Perak Datuk Seri Saarani Mohamad today to strengthen the foundation for cooperation with the state government. 

The visit was aimed at exploring concrete opportunities for practical economic and industrial collaboration, leveraging Perak’s significant growth potential driven by its strategic geographical advantages and abundant natural resources.

Yeo added that the Embassy of the Republic of Korea and the Perak state government will maintain close communication to translate these discussions into concrete projects that drive economic growth for both parties.

-- BERNAMA