Hanwha Ocean Co., a major South Korean defense and shipbuilding company, said it held a meeting with U.S. Sen. Jack Reed (D-RI), head of the U.S. Senate’s armed service committee, on Monday, during which they discussed naval shipbuilding.

Kwon Hyek-woong, chief executive of Hanwha Ocean, met with Reed and U.S. Ambassador to South Korea Philip Goldberg at the U.S. Army base in Seoul, company officials said.

In June, Hanwha Group acquired Philly Shipyard, a U.S. shipbuilder located in the eastern state of Pennsylvania, stepping up its efforts to make inroads into the U.S. naval shipbuilding market.

During the meeting, Hanwha Ocean executives asked Reed to swiftly approve plans to build ships at Philly Shipyard, according to company officials.

Source: Yonhap News Agency