S.Korean President Lee's aide meets Canadian Premier Carney amid efforts to win major submarine deal
South Korean President Lee Jae Myung's top aide called on Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney as part of efforts to support Seoul's bid to win a major submarine project.
cumhuriyet.com.trKang Hoon-sik, who is visiting Canada as a special envoy for strategic economic cooperation, said that he has delivered Lee's personal letter to Carney and also met other senior Canadian officials to discuss the $41.4 billion submarine project, in addition to expanding bilateral security and defense industry cooperation, Seoul-based Yonhap News reported.
His visit came as a South Korean consortium, led by Hanwha Ocean and HD Hyundai Heavy Industries, was shortlisted as a final contender to win the Canadian submarine program, alongside Germany's ThyssenKrupp Marine Systems.
Kang's trip came amid reports that Ottawa and Seoul "signed a memorandum of understanding intended to bring South Korean auto sector manufacturing and investment to Canada," The Globe and Mail daily reported.
The South Korean official briefed Canadian officials on South Korea's advanced submarine technology and highlighted the Korean government's commitment to support broader security and defense industry cooperation between the two nations.
Canada's Minister of State for Defense Procurement Stephen Fuhr plans to visit South Korea next week and personally board a submarine currently operated by the South Korean Navy.
Securing the Canadian contract, Lang further said it would represent a "major step forward" for South Korea's defense industry, marking its largest defense deal in Western markets and potentially serving as a springboard for broader expansion into the NATO market.