HD Hyundai has delivered its 5,000th vessel – the offshore patrol ship Diego Silang. This makes the company the first shipbuilder in the world to reach this number. The delivery comes a little more than 50 years after HD Hyundai launched its first ship in 1974.
The Diego Silang is the second offshore patrol vessel built for the Philippine Navy. HD Hyundai now supplies ships to more than 700 owners in 68 countries.
HD Hyundai reached the 5,000-vessel mark through the combined output of its three shipbuilding divisions: HD Hyundai Heavy Industries (2,631 ships), HD Hyundai Mipo (1,570 ships) and HD Hyundai Samho (799 ships). According to the company, the total length of all vessels built would be more than 140 times the height of Mount Everest.
Chairman Chung Kisun said that this milestone shows the strength of Korea’s shipbuilding industry. He also noted that the company’s history is built on big and bold decisions.
The company was founded by Chung Ju-Yung, who grew up in poverty in the north of Korea. After World War II he started the Hyundai group. In 1972 he took a major risk and accepted an order for a large tanker before the shipyard even existed. The ship was delivered on time, and Hyundai began its rise as a global shipbuilder.
