Presidential Chief of Staff Kang Hoon-sik departed for Canada on Monday, leading a delegation that includes Industry Minister Kim Jung-kwan and Defense Acquisition Program Administration head Lee Yong-cheol.
The visit is aimed at supporting Seoul’s bid for the Canadian Patrol Submarine Project (CPSP), estimated at around 60 trillion won ($44 billion).
Joining the delegation are Hyundai Motor Group Chairman Chung Eui-sun and Hanwha Group Vice Chairman Kim Dong-kwan — a lineup that underscores how seriously Seoul views the opportunity and highlights the growing role of state-industry coordination in major defense contracts.
Before boarding his flight at Incheon International Airport, Kang told reporters the competition has narrowed to two contenders — South Korea and Germany.
“Germany is a global manufacturing powerhouse in automation and advanced chemical engineering,” Kang said, adding that “given how South Korea inherited core submarine technologies from Germany in our early development stages, the situation will not be easy.”
Germany, which recently lost Poland’s submarine tender, is said to be approaching the Canadian competition with exceptional intensity.
Nevertheless, Kang emphasized the scale of the project and its implications for South Korea’s industrial base.
“This is the largest defense procurement project currently underway internationally,” he said.
“If we win, the domestic production ripple effect alone would exceed 40 trillion won, creating more than 20,000 jobs and securing work for over 300 partner companies.”
Manufacturing capacity meets strategic demand
The CPSP has emerged as a test case for how defense procurement is evolving globally. Canada is seeking up to 12 diesel-electric submarines of roughly 3,000 tons, along with decades of maintenance, repair and overhaul (MRO). Ottawa is also reportedly requiring part of the project to be carried out at a new local shipyard, while allowing initial units to be built in the contractor’s home country.
Such conditions favor suppliers with large-scale manufacturing capacity and the ability to integrate local production and long-term sustainment — areas where Korea has increasingly differentiated itself.
Global demand for weapons has surged as allies face pressure to rebuild inventories as the United States urges partners to shoulder more of their own defense burden under an America-First security policy.
In Europe, rearmament has accelerated, but fragmented industrial structures and capacity bottlenecks have limited supply.
Korea’s ability to produce and deliver complex systems at scale has elevated its standing from a fast-growing exporter to a core manufacturing hub in the global defense market.
Historical ties and diplomatic signaling
On Sunday, the eve of his departure, Kang paid tribute to Canadian soldiers who fought in the Korean War at the War Memorial of Korea in Seoul. He laid a wreath at the monument honoring Canada’s fallen and observed a moment of silence.
A bid shaped by geopolitics
Experts say the CPSP has become more than a procurement contest, reflecting broader shifts in the global security architecture.
“Canada–South Korea relations have long been strong,” said Daniel Béland, professor of political science at McGill University.
“More than 500 Canadians died during the Korean War defending the South against the North’s aggression, and since then, Canada has played a direct role in the UN Command.”
Béland said ties have deepened since formal diplomatic relations were established in 1960.
“Economic and strategic ties have increased since the advent of the CKFTA trade agreement a decade ago,” he said.
“Given the current geopolitical and trade uncertainties created by the second Trump administration, we’re likely to see even stronger security and economic ties between our two countries — in line with the multilateral collaborative strategy outlined by Prime Minister Carney in his recent Davos speech.”
Canada’s recalibration and Europe’s signal
Patrick Lennox, a Canadian politician from the ruling Liberal Party, described the submarine project as central to Ottawa’s push to strengthen maritime capabilities and diversify partnerships.
“Canada’s participation in the Korean conflict hearkens back to a time when our foreign policy could leverage multilateral institutions like the UN to attempt to constrain and moderate American decisions,” Lennox said.
“With those days squarely behind us, we are seeking to diversify and strengthen our global partnerships and rebuild our military capability.”
He called the CPSP “a key feature of this generational investment,” linking it to Canada’s Indo-Pacific strategy.
“Canada is looking to open new opportunities for security cooperation and to strengthen stability on the Korean Peninsula,” Lennox said.
“At a strategic level, geopolitical imperatives are pushing our two democratic nations closer together as we work towards enhancing middle power alliances and strategic partnerships in the face of unconstrained great power politics.”
Beyond submarines
Trade officials say Canada has asked both South Korea and Germany for broader industrial commitments as part of offset negotiations, with Ottawa favoring local investments and supply-chain integration.
Public diplomacy is also part of the visit. Seoul plans cultural and commemorative events highlighting historic ties, including a memorial marking 70 years since the death of Oliver R. Avison, a Canadian medical missionary and founder of Severance Hospital. A musical dramatizing the work of early Canadian missionaries in Korea is scheduled to coincide with the delegation’s stay.
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