Kang Hoon-sik, chief of staff to the president, will meet on Thursday with Stephen Fuhr, Canada’s minister of state for defense procurement, who is visiting South Korea.
The presidential office disclosed the schedule on Wednesday and urged caution in reporting on Canada’s submarine procurement, saying the project is the subject of competition among countries. It asked media to refrain from speculation or inaccurate reports until the government or companies issue official statements, warning such coverage could complicate defense exports.
Fuhr oversees Canada’s defense procurement policy and is leading the patrol submarine acquisition program.
The contract is valued at up to 60 trillion won and is described as the largest single project in South Korea’s defense export history. South Korean firms Hanwha Ocean and HD Hyundai Heavy Industries are competing in the final round against a German company.
Canada plans to accept final bid proposals in March and aims to select a preferred bidder as early as the first half of the year.
Kang visited Canada last month as President Lee Jae Myung’s special envoy for strategic economic cooperation, providing support for South Korean companies seeking the contract.
* This article has been translated by AI.
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