On May 8, President Lee Jae-myung spoke with Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney to discuss enhancing cooperation in security, economy, energy, critical minerals, and advanced industries.
Chief Presidential Secretary Kang Yu-jeong reported in a written briefing that the two leaders assessed the smooth implementation of follow-up actions from their summit during the APEC meeting in Gyeongju last year.
They agreed on the need for closer collaboration between their countries in achieving a peaceful resolution to the current situation in the Middle East, ensuring freedom of navigation in the Strait of Hormuz, and stabilizing energy supply through international efforts.
As their relationship expands beyond security cooperation to encompass various fields including economy, energy, advanced industries, and culture, they expressed a commitment to deepen strategic cooperation based on this trend.
President Lee stated, "Canada is a key ally for South Korea, and in light of the complex international order and unstable global energy supply chains, I hope we can further strengthen our cooperation in security, economy, energy, critical minerals, and advanced industries."
Prime Minister Carney responded, "It is important for middle powers like Canada and South Korea to strengthen their ties through a more pragmatic approach."
The two leaders also agreed to maintain regular communication to actively develop bilateral relations and to expedite discussions at all levels to achieve concrete and practical results in various fields.
This conversation comes as South Korea is competing for a contract in Canada’s estimated 60 trillion won ($45 billion) Canadian Patrol Submarine Project (CPSP).
The CPSP is a major project to build up to 12 diesel submarines to replace the four Victoria-class submarines, which are set to retire in the mid-2030s.
The Hanwha Ocean and HD Hyundai Heavy Industries consortium from South Korea and Germany's Thyssenkrupp Marine Systems (TKMS) are on the shortlist and are currently in final competition ahead of an announcement in June.
* This article has been translated by AI.
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