DAPA: "Urgent Need to Strengthen In-House Defense Export Support Organization"

Regarding the Selection of the Preferred Bidder for the CPSP Project
"Communication Conducted with Due Diplomatic Courtesy"

Regarding Hanwha Ocean’s unsuccessful bid to become the preferred negotiator for the Canadian submarine project (CPSP), an official from the Defense Acquisition Program Administration (DAPA) stated, "There was communication that was conducted with due diplomatic courtesy between the two countries in advance."

Yonhap News Agency

On July 7, in response to questions from reporters about whether Canada had provided prior explanation, the DAPA official said, "Prime Minister Carney (of Canada), in his announcement, mentioned that he had sought prior understanding from our President, and I am not aware of any details beyond that." On this day, Prime Minister Carney officially announced at the Halifax naval base that Germany's Thyssenkrupp Marine Systems (TKMS) had been selected as the preferred bidder for the CPSP project, stating, "Over the weekend, I had a long and close conversation with President Lee Jaemyung and discussed this matter as well."

Prime Minister Carney also emphasized the partnership between the two nations, saying, "There are many other areas in which Canada and Korea cooperate, and Korea is an important strategic partner for Canada."

In response, the DAPA official interpreted the situation as follows: "The fact that Prime Minister Carney personally called our President in advance to seek understanding with due courtesy reflects a determination to maintain the importance of diplomatic cooperation." The official further emphasized that at the core of this selection was Canada's "strategic dilemma"—whether to strengthen its existing North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) alliance with Germany, or to expand toward the Indo-Pacific region, represented by Korea.

He added, "While our Indo-Pacific cooperation is something to be developed in the future, the Atlantic alliance is a practical reality that has functioned for 70 years, with joint training to the extent that even crew sharing is discussed. In the end, after much strategic deliberation, Canada chose to strengthen its existing alliance."

However, he noted that this CPSP bidding process also served as a 'showcase' for Korea's submarine capabilities. He expressed hope that the fact that the domestically built 3,000-ton Dosan Ahn Chang-ho-class submarine crossed the Pacific Ocean, traveling 14,000 kilometers, would become a "significant commercial advantage in the future."

Regarding the potential elevation of DAPA, currently an external agency under the Ministry of National Defense, to a tentatively named "National Defense Resource Industry Agency," the official said, "It is inappropriate to comment at this time," but also stated, "During this process, it was evident that DAPA's support organization for defense exports is weak. I strongly intend to recommend that this be urgently reinforced."

Meanwhile, on the same day, DAPA Commissioner Lee Yongcheol commented on the outcome of the CPSP bidding, saying, "Despite the full support of all ministries, I was unable to deliver the desired result, which is entirely due to my own shortcomings." He continued, "I cannot sufficiently express my regret." He went on to stress, "The prioritization of security alliances, the formation of blocs, and the preference for domestic weapons have become constants in the defense industry market. The way to overcome this is to secure a technological gap wide enough to transcend these blocs and to find an entry point into the mainstream market through groundbreaking localization."

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