Why brokers placing Korean tonnage should take note
South Korea has been clawing back shipbuilding market share after a difficult 2024, and that matters directly for where new tonnage gets ordered, flagged and insured. Clarksons Research data cited by PortNews showed South Korean yards took 19% of global newbuilding orders by compensated gross tonnage in the first half of 2026, against China’s 72%, as part of a broader rebound that saw Korean builders lift their full-year 2025 share to around 22% from 17% the year before.