Trump wants Korean ships. US law stands in the way

US President Donald Trump’s repeated mentions of South Korean shipbuilders for its Navy buildup have raised expectations that companies like Hanwha Ocean and HD Hyundai Heavy Industries could play a bigger role in modernizing the country’s aging naval fleet.

The momentum is real.

Since South Korea and the US launched their shipbuilding partnership under the “Make America Shipbuilding Great Again” initiative last August, the two sides have moved from broad political commitments toward concrete co ...