2013 New Year Congratulatory Ceremony was held on January 10 in Busan, Korea, for shipbuilding and offshore players.
Ko Jae-Ho, chairman of the Korea Shipbuilders' Association as well as president of Daewoo Shipbuilding & Marine Engineering projected "Shipbuilding and offshore industries will meet with the most difficult time this year, since global financial crisis in 2008."
Amid global economy uncertainties, tonnage oversupply protracts and it is unclear that ship financing market would soon recover or not, he said, saying "Let's secure offshore plant engineering technology, boost localization rate in offshore equipment and foster labor forces, etc."
Ko said "With IMO's environmental and safety regulations, more green-design high-efficient vessels would be needed by global shipowners" and emphasized "By aggressively preparing for changing market, Korea should preoccupy the market."
Meanwhile, before the new year congratulatory ceremony, shipbuilders, Korea Gas Corporation and Korea Institute of Ocean Science & Technology signed a memorandum of understanding to cooperate for construction and management of marine engineering tank and development of related technology.