On March 9, delegates from Mokpo National Maritime University, a leading maritime institution in South Korea, visited Castine to meet with President Johnson to discuss the possibility of sending students from their school for specialized training at Maine Maritime Academy.

Cooperation between Mokpo University and the Academy began formally in 1990 when the two institutions signed the first of three agreements for the intent to exchange students and faculty.

During the March 2026 meeting, the Academy proposed that Mokpo University send approximately 25 students to the Academy for two years of training in both the deck and engine programs beginning in the fall semester.

The partnership between Mokpo University and the Academy predates the establishment of the International Association of Maritime Universities (IAMU), which has become the premier body for establishing international ties in the field of maritime education.