"From a 1974 Oil Tanker to a 2025 Philippine Patrol Vessel": HD Hyundai Achieves World's First Delivery of 5,000 Ships

• Held commemorative ceremony for the delivery of 5,000 ships at HD Hyundai Heavy Industries in Ulsan on the 19th
• Delivered to more than 700 shipowners across 68 countries—marking a milestone achieved half a century after the first vessel delivery
• "Reaching 5,000 ships is a symbol of pride for Korea's shipbuilding industry—we will continue to forge ahead toward the next 50 years"

SEOUL, South Korea, Nov. 19, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- HD Hyundai has become the world's first shipbuilder to build and deliver 5,000 ships, marking half a century since its first vessel delivery in 1974.

HD Hyundai announced that it held a ceremony on Wednesday, November 19, at HD Hyundai Heavy Industries in Ulsan to celebrate delivering a total of 5,000 ships. The event was attended by HD Hyundai Chairman Chung Kisun; National Assembly members Kim Taeseon (Ulsan Dong-gu) and Yoon Jong-o (Ulsan Buk-gu); Park Dong-il, Director General at the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Resources; Ahn Byung-gil, CEO of the Korea Ocean Business Corporation; and Park Jong-seug, Chairman of Korea Marine Transport Co. (and Chairman of the Korea Shipowners' Association).

The 5,000th vessel delivered by HD Hyundai is the Diego Silang, the second offshore patrol vessel built for the Philippine Navy. Measuring 118.4 meters in length and 14.9 meters in width, the state-of-the-art vessel reaches a cruising speed of 15 knots (28 km/h) and has a range of 4,500 nautical miles (8,330 km). It was launched in March and delivered to the Philippine Navy in October. HD Hyundai has secured contracts to build a total of ten naval vessels for the Philippines.

Since delivering its first vessel—the 260,000-ton Very Large Crude Oil Carrier Atlantic Baron—in 1974, HD Hyundai has provided ships to more than 700 shipowners across 68 countries, culminating in the latest delivery of the Diego Silang.

In detail, HD Hyundai Heavy Industries has delivered 2,631 vessels, HD Hyundai Mipo has delivered 1,570 vessels, and HD Hyundai Samho has delivered 799 vessels. This record-setting achievement has not been matched even by European or Japanese shipbuilders, despite their much longer shipbuilding histories.

Assuming an average vessel length of 250 meters, the combined length of 5,000 ships reaches approximately 1,250 kilometers. This distance exceeds the straight-line distance from Seoul to Tokyo (about 1,150 kilometers) and is more than 140 times the height of Mount Everest (approximately 8,800 meters).

Chairman Chung stated, "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." He continued, "Building on this shared legacy of innovation, we will move confidently toward the next 5,000 vessels—and the next half century."

Meanwhile, HD Hyundai's three shipbuilding subsidiaries delivered a total of 144 vessels in 2024, including container ships, LNG carriers, and product carriers.

SOURCE HD Hyundai