'Defense Envoy' Kang Hoon-sik Visits Canada: "Korea is the Only Partner with Speed, Quality, and Reliability in Procurement"

Race for Canada’s $60 Trillion Submarine Deal Enters Final Stage
Meetings with Ontario Premier and Minister of National Defence; MOU Signed for Local Production and Joint Export of Defense Vehicles
Kang Hoon-sik Urges, “Build Canada Strong with

Kang Hoonshik, Chief Presidential Secretary, visited Canada as the Special Presidential Envoy for Strategic Economic Cooperation on behalf of President Lee Jaemyung, stating, "Choosing Korea, the only partner with procurement speed, quality, and delivery reliability, can serve as a successful example of Canadian defense procurement reform and become a new engine for economic growth."

Kang Hoonshik, Chief of Staff to the President, is speaking at the Korea-Canada Advanced Industry Cooperation Business Roundtable on the 1st (local time). (Photo by Kang Hoonshik)

In a Facebook post on the 2nd, Chief Secretary Kang reported that he held separate meetings on the 1st (local time) with Secretary of State for Defence Procurement Stephen Fuhr and Minister of National Defence David McGuinty in Canada. This comes as the competition for Canada’s Canadian Patrol Submarine Project (CPSP), estimated to be worth up to 60 trillion won, enters its final stage, with a strong emphasis on Korea’s defense procurement capabilities and the potential for industrial cooperation.

During the meetings, Chief Secretary Kang underlined that, amidst the growing international uncertainty such as the prolonged Middle East conflict, Korea, as a leading defense industry nation, possesses both the willingness and capability to contribute to Canada’s security. He added, "For Prime Minister Carney’s ‘middle power coalition’ to have real significance, it is important for Canada to engage in the Indo-Pacific region, which represents the ‘sea of the future.’"

Chief Secretary Kang shared that Minister McGuinty expressed agreement and suggested that both sides continue to swiftly explore strategic approaches to realizing the middle power coalition. Kang also recounted an anecdote in which, due to his flight’s delay and his subsequent late arrival, both ministers reassured him by saying, "Delays are an everyday occurrence in Canada."

During the meeting, Kang remarked, "Our submarine, currently docked at Canada’s west coast, traveled 14,000 kilometers across the Pacific and arrived on time without a single delay. Next time, perhaps I should come by submarine," highlighting, albeit humorously, the long-range operational capabilities and punctuality of Korean submarines.

This marks Kang’s second visit to Canada since January. He noted, "As the Special Presidential Envoy for Strategic Economic Cooperation, I have returned to Canada following my previous visit in January." Upon arrival at Toronto Airport, he first visited the Sewol Ferry Memorial Bench on the shore of Lake Ontario. Standing in front of the inscription left by the Korean community reading "We will not forget," he reflected, "Above all, it reminded me once again that protecting the lives and safety of the people is the most important duty."

The first official event was the Korea-Canada Advanced Industry Cooperation Business Roundtable. At the roundtable, Chief Secretary Kang discussed cooperation strategies for promising future industries such as defense, space, and hydrogen. Representing Ontario, Minister of Energy and Mines Stephen Lecce identified key minerals, nuclear power and small modular reactors (SMRs), liquefied natural gas (LNG), and crude oil as potential areas of cooperation, stating, "As blood allies who have shed blood together, let us continue to fight together for the next generation," according to Kang.

Chief Secretary Kang emphasized that combining Canada’s abundant resources and technology with Korea’s advanced manufacturing capabilities could set a model for the ‘middle power coalition’ advocated by Prime Minister Carney. He also announced plans to further expand purchases and investments in Canadian crude oil, LNG, liquefied petroleum gas (LPG), and key minerals.

During the event, Kang declared, "Build Canada Strong with Korea." This statement underscored the intent to expand bilateral cooperation beyond simple trade to a strategic partnership encompassing energy security, supply chains, advanced manufacturing, and defense exports.

Kang Hoonshik, Chief Presidential Secretary, is giving a speech on the 1st (local time) during his visit to Martinrea, a leading Canadian automotive parts company. (Photo by Kang Hoonshik, Chief Presidential Secretary)

Business-to-business cooperation also took concrete form. Chief Secretary Kang visited Martinrea, a leading Canadian automotive parts company, and, after touring the site with eight CEOs, announced the signing of a memorandum of understanding (MOU) for business cooperation. This MOU aims to combine Korean defense technology with Canadian steel and automotive parts to produce defense vehicles locally and jointly export them worldwide.

In his meeting with Doug Ford, Premier of Ontario, cooperation in hydrogen vehicles and defense vehicles was discussed. Kang presented a vision that the two countries could become global leaders in hydrogen vehicles and defense vehicles through such cooperation. When Premier Ford mentioned that he had visited Korea with his father and brother over 40 years ago, Kang responded, "Please visit Korea again—a country that has transformed four times over since then."

This visit draws particular attention in the context of Canada’s ongoing next-generation submarine project. Canada is seeking to secure new assets to replace its Victoria-class submarines, which are scheduled for retirement in the mid-2030s, and Korean companies are competing with German firms for the contract. The government is focusing on persuading the Canadian side through a package cooperation model that combines not only submarine performance but also collaboration in defense vehicles, energy, key minerals, and supply chains.

In the evening, Chief Secretary Kang met with private sector executives and heads of public institutions who accompanied the special envoy delegation to discuss follow-up cooperation measures. He stated, "I will do my best to help create future growth engines for our economy and to establish a stable energy supply structure that remains resilient in the face of global uncertainty."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.