Secretary of State Fuhr visits Republic of Korea to advance defence relationships and promote industry engagement
Press Release + Noah Note
January 29, 2026 - Ottawa, Ontario
Today, the Honourable Stephen Fuhr, Secretary of State (Defence Procurement), announced he is travelling to the Republic of Korea, from January 30 to February 6, 2026, to strengthen Canada’s defence relationships with key allies and advance industry collaboration for shared security and resilience.
During this official visit, Secretary of State Fuhr is meeting with senior government officials, including Ahn Gyu-back, the Minister of National Defence, Lee Yong Cheol, the Minister of the Defence Acquisition Program Administration, Baek Seung-bo, Administrator for Public Procurement Service, and Admiral Kang Dong-gil, Chief of Naval Operations for the Republic of Korea Navy.
Secretary of State Fuhr is also participating in site visits and engaging with leading defence companies and industry organizations in South Korea to explore opportunities for partnerships that will grow Canada’s economy and create good-paying jobs at home. These meetings offer a chance to discuss industrial cooperation, innovation and deeper integration of Canadian and South Korean defence supply chains.
This visit, building on the recent visit by Prime Minister Mark Carney to the Republic of Korea and leveraging the new Canada-Republic of Korea Security and Defence Cooperation Partnership, highlights Canada's dedication to strengthening ties with nations that share similar objectives and principles.
Collaborating with countries recognized for their advanced defence technologies and innovative military solutions, such as the Republic of Korea, enables Canada to leverage that expertise and build partnerships that open new opportunities for Canadian industries to expand their footprint by supporting our shared security and adaptability in a complex global environment.
The deepening of our security and defence industrial ties with the Republic of Korea is aligned with Canada’s Indo-Pacific Strategy and its commitment to resilience, security and stability in the Indo-Pacific region and beyond, alongside allies and partners.
The Secretary of State’s schedule also highlights Canada’s new Defence Investment Agency (DIA), which is accelerating and streamlining defence procurements, supporting Canadian industry and fostering collaboration with international partners.
The DIA’s mandate includes engaging industry earlier in the procurement process, supporting innovation and aligning procurement strategies with partner nations to deliver new capabilities to the Canadian Armed Forces faster. Through these engagements, Canada is demonstrating leadership in building resilient defence industrial partnerships that strengthen our alliances, diversify our partnerships, create opportunities for Canadian industry to innovate and compete globally.
Quotes
“Canada has a long-standing relationship with the Republic of Korea and shares a common vision of a free, peaceful and prosperous Indo-Pacific. Canada is undertaking significant investments in defence and security, while also reinforcing ties with reliable allies and partners. Collaboration with like-minded, reliable and trustworthy partners such as the Republic of Korea presents new opportunities for the Canadian defence industry to create good-paying jobs and ensure Canadian expertise continues to support shared security and resilience.”
The Honourable Stephen Fuhr
Secretary of State (Defence Procurement)
Noah Note: This trip has been planned for a long while and has almost constantly been pushed back. With this all the major figured related to CPSP would have visited back Hanwha and TKMS! Mr. Fuhr was quite literally the last person I have been waiting on.
I wonder if Minister Fuhr suffers from chronic jet lag and malnutrition from airline food. Good update, thank you.