Senior defence and industry officials from the Republic of Korea (ROK) and Canada convened the Korea-Canada Defence Conference in Ottawa today, the first in a new slue of meetings and conferences scheduled between the two countries.
The event followed just a week after Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney visited Korea, where alongside Korean President Lee Jae‑Myung they formally announced the new Canada-Korea Security and Defence Cooperation Partnership.
The bilateral framework, the first of its kind for Canada in the Indo-Pacific region, charts a strategic agenda spanning military-to-military engagement, defence-industrial cooperation, information sharing, and emerging-technology domains such as cyber and space.
Secretary of State (Defence Procurement) Stephen Fuhr had this to say:
"Canada and South Korea share a deep friendship founded on mutual respect, shared democratic values, and a joint commitment to peace and prosperity.
Just last week, Prime Minister Carney and President Lee announced the Canada-Korea Security and Defence Cooperation Partnership, marking a new chapter in our long-standing relationship.
Today, I met with the Korean Delegation at the Korea-Canada Defence Conference, where we reaffirmed our shared vision for a secure and prosperous Indo-Pacific through deeper cooperation in defence, industry, and innovation.
We will continue building on this momentum to create new opportunities for collaboration and growth between our countries"
The conference comprised bilateral sessions, panel discussions and industry-track briefings. On the ROK side, Vice Minister of National Defence Lee Doo‑hee led the delegation and held high-level talks with Canada’s Deputy Minister of National Defence, Stefanie Beck, who previously visited Korea last month.
According to the Korean Ministry of National Defence, their meeting on 5 November assessed progress on the Partnership and the establishment of a defence-industry consultative body.
In tandem, Lee met with David Perry, President of the Canadian Global Affairs Institute (CGAI), to exchange perspectives on defence and industrial innovation cooperation.
The conference concluded with a joint communiqué to advance concrete implementation of the frameworks outlined in the Partnership. Among immediate next steps:
Establishment of the defence-industry consultative body
Scheduling of the first Canada-Korea Joint Meeting (Materiel) and Joint Meeting (Defence R&D)
Exploration of collaborative projects in submarine, cyber/space, and joint exercises.
The ministers pledged to monitor progress and report back at the next “2 + 2” engagement.