Chief of staff Kang Hoon-sik visited Canada on the 31st as the president's special envoy for strategic economic cooperation. It is his first departure in four months since visiting Canada in Jan. to back Korea's bid for Canada's next-generation submarine program worth 60 trillion won.
Kang said on Facebook, a social network service (SNS), on the day, "I am departing for Canada as the president's special envoy for strategic economic cooperation," adding, "This delegation includes the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Resources and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, as well as corporations and groups in energy, resources, supply chains and advanced industries."
Kang emphasized, "As confirmed during the two leaders' call on the 8th, relations between Korea and Canada are rapidly expanding across the economy, energy and advanced industries," adding, "In particular, as the Middle East crisis drags on, the two countries' economic and industrial structures are complementary, and we feel the strong synergy for cooperation as middle powers on the global stage."
He added, "As this is the second envoy visit in four months, we will do our best to achieve tangible results that can expand strategic cooperation between the two countries in energy, resources, supply chains and advanced industries."
Kang is expected to attend the "Korea-Canada resource security supply chain cooperation forum" to be held in Canada. There, he will step up efforts to support the bid for the Canadian Patrol Submarine Project (CPSP).
The CPSP underway in Canada is a project worth about 60 trillion won to build 12 diesel submarines. Korea's Hanwha Ocean and HD Hyundai Heavy Industries, and Germany's ThyssenKrupp Marine Systems (TKMS) are in the final competition.