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HD Hyundai becomes first shipbuilder to deliver 5,000 vessels

Published: 19 Nov. 2025, 17:09 Updated: 19 Nov. 2025, 17:46

The Atlantic Baron, a 260,000-ton ultra-large crude oil carrier, which was the very first vessel constructed by HD Hyundai Heavy Industries at its Ulsan shipyard, is seen during the delivery and naming ceremony in June 1974. [HD HYUNDAI]

HD Hyundai has become the first shipbuilding group in the world to deliver 5,000 vessels, achieving the milestone just 51 years after its founding, the company announced on Wednesday.

The company said it held a ceremony at its headquarters in Dong District, Ulsan, to commemorate the delivery of its 5,000th vessel: the BRP Diego Silang, a state-of-the-art offshore patrol vessel built for the Philippine Navy.

The Diego Silang, the second of 10 vessels ordered by the Philippine Navy, measures 118.4 meters (388 feet) in length and 14.9 meters in width, with a cruising speed of 28 kilometers (17.4 miles) per hour. It was officially delivered to the Philippines last month.

HD Hyundai’s first delivery dates back to 1974, when then-Hyundai Shipbuilding & Heavy Industries, now HD Hyundai Heavy Industries, handed over the 260,000-ton tanker Atlantic Baron to a Greek shipping company. Over the last five decades, HD Hyundai has supplied vessels to more than 700 shipowners across 68 countries.

Of the 5,000 vessels delivered, HD Hyundai Heavy Industries built 2,631, HD Hyundai Mipo Dockyard built 1,570 and HD Hyundai Samho Heavy Industries built 799.

“If each ship measures an average of 250 meters in length, the combined length of the 5,000 ships would reach 1,250 kilometers — longer than the straight-line distance from Seoul to Tokyo, which is about 1,150 kilometers,” the company said.

“Our 5,000-vessel milestone represents the pride of Korea’s shipbuilding industry and the history of bold challenges that have reshaped the global maritime paradigm,” said HD Hyundai Chairman Chung Ki-sun. “Building on this shared legacy of innovation, we will move confidently toward the next 5,000 vessels — and the next half century.”

This article was originally written in Korean and translated by a bilingual reporter with the help of generative AI tools. It was then edited by a native English-speaking editor. All AI-assisted translations are reviewed and refined by our newsroom.
BY PARK YOUNG-WOO [[email protected]]