InterviewQuebec sees Korea as Indo-Pacific gateway for AI, batteries, aerospace

Damien Pereira, chief representative of the Quebec Government Office in Seoul, speaks during a one-on-one interview with The Korea Times at a cafe in Seoul, July 6. Courtesy of Quebec Government Office in Seoul

As Korea and Quebec mark 35 years since the Canadian province opened its first office in Seoul, Quebec is looking beyond traditional trade to build a deeper partnership centered on artificial intelligence (AI), aerospace, batteries and innovation, while positioning itself as North America's gateway for Korean businesses.

Originally established as a trade office in Seoul in 1991, the Quebec Government Office was upgraded to a full delegation in 2024, broadening its mandate to represent all ministries of the provincial government. That evolution comes as Quebec increasingly views Korea as one of its key strategic partners in Asia under its Indo-Pacific strategy.

"We went from what we call an antenna, then to a bureau and now we are a delegation since 2024," Damien Pereira, chief representative of the Quebec Government Office in Seoul, told The Korea Times in a recent interview in Seoul, explaining that the office now focuses on connecting industries, researchers, startups and government agencies across both economies.

The economic figures reflect that growing partnership. Since the Canada-Korea Free Trade Agreement entered into force roughly a decade ago, Quebec's exports to Korea have increased by around 60 percent, according to Pereira.

Between 2022 and 2024, Korean companies invested approximately 2.9 billion Canadian dollars in Quebec, making Korea the province's second-largest foreign investor after the United States. The relationship, he emphasized, works because the two economies complement one another, rather than being driven by competition.

"We are very complementary in many ways. We have a lot of resources that Korean companies need, and we are a gateway to North America. Similarly, Korea is a gateway to the Indo-Pacific," he said. "That's why I think the relation grew very fast economically, and we decided to make Korea one of the anchor markets for Quebec in the Indo-Pacific."

Complementarity extends well beyond trade. Quebec's strengths in frontier research, software and innovation pair naturally with Korea's globally competitive manufacturing base and ability to commercialize technologies at scale.

Damien Pereira, seventh from right in the first row, chief representative of the Quebec Government Office in Seoul, stands next to participants at the 2025 Seoul AI Hub & Quebec Government Office Networking Event in Seoul, May 14, 2025. Courtesy of the Quebec Government Office in Seoul

Building next AI ecosystem

AI has also become perhaps the clearest illustration of that complementarity. Although often overshadowed by Silicon Valley, Quebec has developed one of the world's leading AI ecosystems centered in Montreal.

The province is home to Yoshua Bengio, one of the pioneers of modern machine learning and a recipient of the Turing Award, widely regarded as the Nobel Prize of computing. His decision to remain at the University of Montreal fueled the growth of Mila, a Montreal-headquartered AI research institute, now the world's largest academic AI research institute.

For Pereira, Quebec's research excellence naturally complements Korea's industrial capabilities.

"We see that Korea has extremely good industrial capacity to deploy AI," he said. "Again, there is a good matching between what we do in Quebec. We can resolve a lot of issues, and Korea can deploy it very fast among its industrial base."

The partnership is already taking shape. Quebec has signed AI cooperation agreements with Busan Metropolitan City, while Seoul AI Hub sends startups annually to Mila for training and collaboration. Similar programs are now expanding with Gyeonggi Province through Quebec's startup incubator ecosystem.

Yoo Chung-yoll, second from left, director of Commercial Affairs at the Quebec Government Office in Seoul, stands next to key partners at the Bombardier Defense booth during the 2025 Seoul International Aerospace & Defense Exhibition (ADEX) at the KINTEX exhibition center in Ilsan, Goyang, Oct. 22, 2025. Courtesy of Quebec Government Office in Seoul

Beyond AI, Pereira identified aerospace and defense as another sector where Quebec and Korea's industrial strengths align naturally.

Montreal ranks alongside Seattle and Toulouse as one of the world's three largest aerospace clusters, home to companies including Bombardier, Bell Textron Canada and CAE. Many Quebec-based firms already supply planes, helicopters and advanced flight simulation technologies to Korea, while roughly a dozen companies participate in Korea's aerospace and defense supply chain.

"Aerospace is our first economic sector for exports to Korea," Pereira said. "We are working with Korea to exchange our companies, to make sure that they know each other, they can speak to each other and they can work together."

The two sides are also expanding collaboration through aerospace exhibitions, research partnerships and industrial matchmaking, while Quebec has supported Korean companies participating in Canada's future defense projects.

Powering battery transition

Battery cooperation has likewise become one of the defining pillars of the Korea-Quebec partnership, bringing together Quebec's abundant natural resources and clean energy with Korea's globally competitive battery manufacturing industry.

Home to 10 of NATO's 12 designated critical minerals and powered almost entirely by renewable hydropower, Quebec has become an increasingly attractive destination for Korean battery manufacturers seeking resilient North American supply chains. Companies including EcoPro, POSCO Future M and Solus Advanced Materials have established operations in the province, drawn by its access to critical minerals, competitive operating costs and proximity to the U.S. market.

Pereira said the relationship has evolved beyond investment into joint technology development. Quebec research teams have been collaborating with EcoPro Innovation on lithium-metal anode technology, widely regarded as one of the next frontiers in electric vehicle batteries.

Performers from Cirque Éloize appear in the troupe's co-produced circus production, "Wings of Memory," created in collaboration with Samsung C&T, at the dedicated theater in Everland, Yongin, Gyeonggi Province, April 9. Courtesy of Quebec Government Office in Seoul

Culture as strategic diplomacy

Pereira noted that culture has always remained an equally important pillar of Quebec's diplomacy with Korea, serving not only to promote the province's distinct identity but also to lay the foundation for long-term cooperation in education, research and innovation.

"Culture is integrated into our diplomacy because it's also an economic driver," he said. "It helps promote our identity and our culture, even our language. We also see it as a foundation for long-term partnership. We need to understand each other, and culture is helping us to do that."

Quebec has significantly expanded its cultural footprint in Korea over the past several years. In 2025 alone, the province supported the presentation of 27 films, 16 exhibitions, 15 performing arts companies and approximately 130 artists and creative organizations in Korea.

Its influence is visible well beyond theaters and galleries. Moment Factory, the Montreal-based multimedia studio behind the massive digital installation at Incheon International Airport's Terminal 2, has become one of Quebec's best-known creative exports to Korea. Meanwhile, Cirque Éloize has partnered with Samsung C&T to present a co-produced circus production at Everland, illustrating the province's growing collaboration with Korean partners in immersive entertainment and digital creativity.

As a predominantly French-speaking province in North America, Quebec has long worked to preserve its language and culture. Today, it sees striking similarities with Korea's efforts to maintain the global visibility of Korean-language and Korean-wave content as AI increasingly shapes how people find information online.

"We started it also with the French language that is important for Quebec," Pereira said. "Korea rapidly raised its hand and said, 'OK, we have the same issue with Korean content.'"

Damien Pereira, chief representative of the Quebec Government Office in Seoul, speaks during a one-on-one interview with The Korea Times at a cafe in Seoul, July 6. Courtesy of Quebec Government Office in Seoul

In his view, recommendation algorithms and AI systems increasingly favor English-language content, creating new challenges for cultural diversity.

"It's not a question of which language," he said. "It's a question of any other language than English. How do we preserve any other language than English in the digital world?"

Pereira said Quebec hopes to work more closely with Korea through international forums, including UNESCO, to promote the discoverability of non-English content online and ensure that AI strengthens rather than diminishes cultural diversity.

"AI has a tendency to homogenize everything," he said. "How do we preserve our identity, our diversity?"

Looking ahead, Pereira expects cultural cooperation to evolve alongside technological innovation, with both sides exploring AI-driven storytelling, immersive media and new digital content while continuing to strengthen people-to-people exchanges.

"I think we have a mature relation," Pereira said, reflecting on the evolution of Korea-Quebec ties. "If I look back at what we've been achieving over the last 35 years, it's quite amazing between Korea and Quebec."

For Pereira, however, the strongest chapter of the relationship may still lie ahead.

"I think in the next 35 years we can achieve even a greater amount of results because the world is changing fast, but our relation is solid," he said. "We can address worldwide questions by working more together."