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'MASGA' — Make America Shipbuilding Great Again — hat unveiled

Published: 03 Aug. 2025, 14:10 Updated: 03 Aug. 2025, 17:22

Kim Yong-beom, the presidential policy chief and one of the key figures behind Korea’s recent tariff negotiations with the United States, presents a red baseball cap reading “Make America Shipbuilding Great Again” in English on a KBS talk show on Aug. 3. [SCREEN CAPTURE]

Korea's presidential policy chief unveiled a “MASGA hat” — intended as a symbol of Korea’s “secret weapon” in the trade talks that sealed an 11th-hour tariff deal with the United States.

Kim Yong-beom, the presidential policy chief and one of the key figures behind Korea’s recent tariff negotiations with the United States, presented a red baseball cap reading “Make America Shipbuilding Great Again” in English on a KBS talk show on Sunday.

“The United States likely had no idea Korea had done so much research and prepared so many proposals related to shipbuilding,” Kim said. “Frankly, without shipbuilding, the negotiations would have gone nowhere.”

MASGA, short for “Make American Shipbuilding Great Again,” is Korea’s proposed campaign to revitalize the U.S. shipbuilding industry. The plan involves creating a $150 billion investment fund to build new shipyards in the United States, train workers and rebuild supply chains. It was key to tariff negotiations, according to those present.

MASGA hat is being displayed for media coverage on August 3. [YONHAP]

“We designed it ourselves and took 10 of them to the U.S.,” Kim said, referring to the baseball cap. “We really put our best foot forward, even making a symbol like this.”

He added that Minister of Trade, Industry and Energy Kim Jung-kwan brought the hat and a large panel to a meeting with U.S. Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick to present the MASGA proposal as a joint investment package in shipbuilding. Lutnick called it a “great idea” at the meeting, the JoongAng Ilbo reported.

Due to the highly spontaneous negotiation style of President Donald Trump, Korean officials said they were on edge until the very end, fearing that terms could change at the last minute.

“If they had made an unreasonable demand we couldn’t accept, we would have had to just walk out of the White House,” Kim Yong-beom recalled. “You can’t exactly revise the terms in front of them on the spot.”

Efforts by private sector leaders also played a key role, according to the presidential secretary.

Hanwha Group Vice Chairman Kim Dong-kwan, Samsung Electronics Executive Chairman Lee Jae-yong, Hyundai Motor Group Executive Chair Euisun Chung and Federation of Korean Industries Chairman Ryu Jin all visited the United States during the negotiations.

“We made sure that, through private channels, the message was clear: Korea had proposed the best possible plan,” Kim Yong-beom said.

Translated from the JoongAng Ilbo using generative AI and edited by Korea JoongAng Daily staff.
BY SHIN HYE-YEON [[email protected]]