Defense chief discusses arms cooperation with Canadian minister amid Korea's submarine bid

Defense Minister Ahn Gyu-back, left, holds talks with Stephen Fuhr, Canada's secretary of state for defense procurement, during a meeting in Seoul, Thursday. Courtesy of Ministry of National Defense

Defense Minister Ahn Gyu-back on Thursday held talks with Stephen Fuhr, Canada's secretary of state for defense procurement, in Seoul to discuss arms cooperation, the defense ministry said, as Seoul seeks to win a major deal to supply naval submarines to Canada.

The meeting came as Fuhr is in Korea for a weeklong trip that includes visits to Korean shipyards and defense firms. His trip comes as Ottawa is set to pick a supplier for the Canadian Patrol Submarine Project, with its value estimated at 60 trillion won ($41 billion).

Korea's Hanwha Ocean and HD Hyundai Heavy Industries have been shortlisted as the final two contenders, alongside Germany's ThyssenKrupp Marine Systems.

Ahn emphasized Korea's strengths as a country that has built and operated homegrown submarines and is capable of supplying them in a "swift and stable" manner, noting how such a deal could swiftly bolster Canada's naval power.

In response, Fuhr expressed great interest in Korea's outstanding industrial capabilities and systemic follow-up support and said he hopes Thursday's meeting will serve as an opportunity to elevate their bilateral ties into a strategic arms industry partnership, according to the ministry.

Both sides concurred on the importance of mutually beneficial defense and arms industry cooperation amid a changing security environment and exchanged opinions on possible strategic cooperation in regards to the submarine procurement project.

They also noted how an agreement to strengthen bilateral security and defense partnership, signed on the occasion of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation summit last year, is symbolic and agreed to continue to communicate to reap practical results in defense cooperation.

As part of his visit, Fuhr boarded the 3,600-ton Jang Bogo-III Batch-II submarine Jang Yeong-sil earlier this week, which Hanwha Ocean has proposed for the Canadian project.