South Korea has retained its position as the world's leader in shipbuilding. 

The Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy said on Monday that country led all others last year by winning orders of nine-point-43 million compensated gross tonnage(CGT) out of 25-point-29 million total ship orders placed globally in 2019. 

China came in second, followed by Japan and Italy. 

Last year, South Korea reemerged as the world’s biggest shipbuilder for the first time in seven years with 12-point-63 million CGT, or 44-point-two percent of total global ship orders.