On Wednesday, South Korean Deputy Defense Minister Lee Doo-hee visited the Canadian Department of National Defence for a meeting with Canadian Deputy Minister of National Defence Stefanie Beck. The two officials discussed ways to advance defense and military industry cooperation between their nations, as reported by the South Korean Ministry of National Defense on Thursday.
The Ministry stated that both deputy ministers acknowledged the strengthened bilateral relations following the recent Korea-Canada summit. They agreed to swiftly develop concrete implementation plans through working-level talks, including the establishment of a Korea-Canada Security and Defense Cooperation Partnership and the creation of a defense industry consultative body.
Deputy Minister Lee noted that a South Korean firm had been shortlisted for Canada’s submarine acquisition program. He emphasized that this project goes beyond a simple export deal, representing a significant step in bolstering the strategic defense partnership between the two countries.
The deputy ministers also committed to accelerating cooperation through future diplomatic and defense 2+2 ministerial meetings and to ongoing discussions on enhancing collaboration.
Later that day, Deputy Minister Lee met with David Perry, President of the Canadian Global Affairs Institute (CGAI), a leading defense and security policy think tank. They explored avenues for practical cooperation and discussed the future of defense and military industry relations between South Korea and Canada.
Deputy Minister Lee remarked that Korea-Canada relations are at an all-time high and expressed his desire to further strengthen defense and military industry cooperation between the two nations.