On June 15, 2026, South Korean media Korea Economic Daily published an article titled 'South Korea, Help... Japan's Emergency SOS, Having Cast Aside Its Pride.'

Towards the revival of Japan's liquefied natural gas (LNG) carrier construction, three companies, Imabari Shipbuilding, Kawasaki Heavy Industries, and Namura Shipbuilding, will collaborate. They reportedly plan to establish a production system of 3 to 5 vessels annually, aiming to resume construction around 2035. According to Japanese media, they also plan to request cooperation from South Korean companies for the introduction of manufacturing technology.

The article cited this and stated that 'the Japanese government has selected the shipbuilding industry as one of 17 key investment areas for national strategic industries, and is promoting the LNG carrier revival project as a core policy,' and explained in detail this plan to resume domestic LNG carrier construction.

In the 1980s and 1990s, Japan virtually dominated the global LNG carrier market. However, since the 2000s, it has lost competitiveness, being pushed out by South Korean shipbuilding companies, and construction has virtually ceased after the last delivery in 2019. In recent years, Chinese companies have also rapidly emerged, further increasing the severity of Japan's position.

The article points out that due to a blank period of over five years, 'the related supply chain is virtually disintegrated' and 'Japan does not possess the technology that has become standard in the current global market,' which are major challenges.

For this reason, the Japanese government and shipbuilding industry are reportedly exploring cooperation with South Korean shipbuilding companies. Plans are underway to receive technology transfer from major South Korean shipbuilding companies such as HD Hyundai Heavy Industries, which possesses know-how in LNG storage tank manufacturing.

Currently, South Korea accounts for approximately 70% and China for approximately 30% of the global LNG carrier market. Japanese media points out that 'for South Korea, which is concerned about China's technological advancement, cooperating with Japan would offer the advantage of preventing customers from flowing to China'.

Comments from South Korean netizens regarding this article include: “If the South Korean government cooperates, it's definitively pro-Japanese,” “Now, South Korea's labor costs are higher than Japan's, so if we transfer technology, everything will be taken. We absolutely must not help them,” “We are grateful for the past technology transfers, but at that time, Japan had an arrogant attitude, thinking 'even if we teach them, they won't be able to imitate us',” “To counter China, coexistence with Japan is necessary,” and “It's true that we should keep China in check, but it's dangerous to join hands with Japan, which hides a knife behind its back. Both countries can easily betray.” (Translation/Editing: Masae)