It had 15 years left of life, but now it has another 30.” Two MRO contracts secured by Hanwha Ocean last year mark the first time a South Korean shipyard has conducted such work for the US Navy, illustrating growing recognition in Washington of the need to harness its Asian allies’ shipbuilding expertise to keep pace with China’s naval build-up.

South Korea's military on Thursday charged two air force pilots with criminal negligence over an accidental bombing of a village near the DMZ last week that injured 43 and damaged dozens of buildings,