HD Hyundai, a major shipbuilder from South Korea, has made history by becoming the first shipbuilder in the world to deliver 5,000 ships. This milestone comes exactly 50 years after they delivered their first ship in 1974.

The latest milestone was reached with the delivery of the Philippine patrol vessel Diego Silang, completing a journey that began with the massive 260,000-ton supertanker Atlantic Baron. Over these five decades, HD Hyundai has delivered vessels to around 700 shipowners in 68 different countries.

The achievement is attributed to the company's three main shipyards: HD Hyundai Heavy Industries delivered 2,631 ships, HD Hyundai Mipo provided 1,570 ships, and HD Hyundai Samho completed 799 ships. This accomplishment is especially impressive as it exceeds the records of European and Japanese shipbuilders, who have a longer history in maritime construction.

In another significant development, HD Hyundai has landed a substantial contract valued at about $1.46 billion from HMM for eight ultra-large containerships. This is the biggest container ship order volume in 18 years, following the shipbuilding boom of 2007.

The order, made through HD Korea Shipbuilding & Offshore Engineering (HD KSOE), includes eight 13,400-TEU dual-fuel containerships that are 337 meters long, 51 meters wide, and 27.9 meters tall. The ships will come equipped with LNG dual-fuel engines and larger fuel tanks, which will enhance their operational performance.

HD Hyundai Heavy Industries will construct two of the ships, while HD Hyundai Samho will handle the other six, with deliveries planned throughout the first half of 2029.

With this recent contract, HD KSOE has secured orders totaling 720,000 TEU across 69 containerships this year, achieving the highest order volume among Korean shipbuilders.