South Korean Minister of Trade, Industry and Energy Kim Jeong-kwan concludes Ottawa visit.
Noah Note
South Korean Minister of Trade, Industry and Energy Kim Jeong-kwan was in Ottawa this week, looking to secure some last-minute political points as we enter the final stretch of the CPSP. The Minister was here on the fifth and sixth, though sadly, with everything happening, I missed it until now!
While here, he met with several key officials on the file, including Minister Joly. During this meeting, Minister Kim reportedly highlighted the strong synergy between the two nations' companies and pushed for broader international collaboration on future technologies like hydrogen. He also requested active Canadian government support for incoming investments by South Korean firms.
Expanding on that, Minister Kim also met with Senator Hassan Yussuff to discuss strategic alignment on the CPSP, and with Flavio Volpe, President of the Automotive Parts Manufacturers' Association of Canada, to explore industrial tie-ups stemming from the recently signed Hanwha-APMA MOU.
Minister Kim also met with Minister of Energy and Natural Resources Tim Hodgson while here—a rare name to pop up on the submarine file. The two officials agreed to address global supply chain vulnerabilities by strengthening bilateral cooperation, specifically through establishing working groups dedicated to critical minerals, something set out in the Canada-Korea Strategic Partnership.
The visit also saw two new agreements between Korean and Canadian entities. First, the Korea Research Institute of Ships & Ocean Engineering (KRISO) signed a new partnership with Memorial University for the joint development of icebreakers, while the Korea Institute for Industrial Technology Evaluation and Planning (KIET) signed an MOU with Prompt to explore cooperation in industrial technology innovation and R&D.
To cap off the visit, Minister Kim stated:
"The Canadian submarine project goes beyond a simple defense business and serves as an opportunity to lay the foundation for long-term cooperation between the two countries. We will consolidate public and private sector capabilities to make an all-out effort to secure the order."
A quick rundown: my brain is fried today, however, I did want to highlight this. Visits and meetings, even minor ones, can sometimes hide signs and details. I think it's important to document them at least!