Korean shipbuilders contracted a total of 432,000 cgt (13 vessels) in November, comparing with Chinese' overall 238,000 cgt (12). In value terms, Korean shipyards booked $2,215m of newbuildings, while Chinese inked $539m, according to Clarkson.
During the first eleven months of this year, Korean shipyards contracted a cumulative of $26.07bn, which almost doubles Chinese' $13.98bn. 
Korean shipbuilders could achieve comparatively large amount of order record, by focussing on high-value specilized vessels, such as drillship, gas carrier, shuttle tanker, PCTC, dive support vessel, etc.
However, in cgt terms, Chinese shipbuilders step forward with a combined of 6.52m cgt (384 vessels), during January-November period, of Koreans' 6.05m cgt (193).
Shipbuilding industries' interests pick up whether Korea could retake the first place of new order, on the basis of cgt, from China within this year.
Since Korean shipbuilders are expected to win massive orders for large-size boxships, MR PCs, mid-to-large sized tankers, drillships, gas carriers, etc., they are also possible to gain back the first place.
Meanwhile, from January to November, a total of 18.77m cgt (999 vessels) were placed orders worldwide, down by 41% year-on-year.
During the same period, newbuildings contracted in Korea, in terms of cgt, plunged by 55% year-on-year, while those in China declined by 36%.
In value terms, Korean shipyards saw newbuilding orders declined by 45% year-on-year from $47.53bn and Chinese dropped by 36% from $21.87bn.
Meanwhile, global newbuilding orderbook stood at 93.32m cgt (4,688 vessel) as of earlier this month, which keeps falling from the end of 2008.
Chinese shipyards secure 33.38m cgt (1,850) orders on the book, accounting for 36% of total orderbook, while Koreans take 31% shares with 28.47m cgt (818).