Trump Requests South Korea Build Military Ships, Seoul Open to Construction on July 9

According to South Korean presidential officials, U.S. President Donald Trump requested on July 9 that South Korea build military ships, with Seoul not ruling out domestic construction. The request was discussed during a bilateral meeting in Ulan Bator, Mongolia, during President Lee Jae-myung's state visit.

South Korean officials said the exact construction method—whether fully built in Korea or with Korean-made components assembled in the U.S.—remains unclear and requires further negotiations. The U.S. Burns-Tolleson law, which restricts the use of foreign-built military vessels, may need to be addressed through either presidential waiver or congressional action.