Kang Hoon-sik, the presidential chief of staff, visited Canada on the 31st as the president's special envoy for strategic economic cooperation. It is the first departure in four months since visiting Canada in January to provide support fire for the bid to win Canada's next-generation submarine program worth 60 trillion won.
Deputy Minister Kang said on Facebook, a social networking service (SNS), "I am departing for Canada as the president's special envoy for strategic economic cooperation," adding, "Accompanying this envoy are 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 in the 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 situation drags on, the two countries' economic and industrial structures are complementary, and we are realizing that, as global middle powers, the synergy of cooperation is significant."
Kang added, "As this is the second envoy visit in four months, I will do my best to achieve tangible results that can expand strategic cooperation between the two countries in energy, resources, supply chains and advanced industries."
Deputy Minister Kang is expected to attend the "Korea-Canada resource security supply chain cooperation forum" to be held in Canada. There, Kang will provide support fire for winning the Canadian Patrol Submarine Project (CPSP).
The CPSP being pursued by Canada is a project worth about 60 trillion won to build 12 diesel submarines. A consortium of Korea's Hanwha Ocean and HD Hyundai Heavy Industries and Germany's ThyssenKrupp Marine Systems (TKMS) are in the final competition.