The Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy said May 7 that Kim met with Canadian Industry Minister Melanie Joly in Ottawa on May 5 (local time) and shared updates on industrial cooperation related to the submarine bid, including a memorandum of understanding between companies from the two countries.
Kim and Joly also discussed expanding cooperation in other sectors such as hydrogen and coordinating in multilateral frameworks. Kim asked for Canadian government support for South Korean companies investing in Canada, the ministry said.
The next day, Kim met with Energy and Natural Resources Minister Tim Hodgson and agreed to deepen cooperation on critical minerals, citing the need to diversify supply chains. Kim also met with Sen. Hassan Youssef, described as a former chair of the Senate defense committee, to discuss strategic cooperation between South Korea and Canada related to the submarine project.
In talks with Flavio Volpe, president of the Automotive Parts Manufacturers’ Association, Kim exchanged views on defense industry cooperation and thanked the group for declaring its support for South Korea in connection with the submarine program.
After finishing his Canada schedule, Kim is to travel to Washington, D.C., for preliminary talks on strategic investment with key U.S. officials, including U.S. Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick. He also plans outreach to the U.S. Congress on investment and trade issues, the ministry said.
“Winning Canada’s submarine project would go beyond a simple defense procurement and become an important turning point in building a long-term partnership between our two countries,” Kim said. “We will marshal public and private capabilities and respond with full force.”
* This article has been translated by AI.
Copyright ⓒ Aju Press All rights reserved.