Lee's top aide set to meet visiting Canadian defense procurement chief

Kang Hoon-sik, right, the presidential chief of staff, shakes hands with Stephen Fuhr, Canada's secretary of state for defense procurement, during their meeting in Canada, in this photo posted on Kang's Facebook account on Jan. 29. Captured from Kang's Facebook account

President Lee Jae Myung's chief of staff will meet with Canada's defense procurement chief later this week, Cheong Wa Dae said Thursday, as Seoul steps up efforts to win a major submarine export deal.

Kang Hoon-sik is scheduled to hold a meeting with Stephen Fuhr, Canada's secretary of state for defense procurement, at Cheong Wa Dae on Friday, Lee's office said.

It will mark the second meeting between Kang and Fuhr in less than two weeks, following their earlier talks in Canada when Kang visited as a special envoy tasked with promoting Korea's defense exports.

Fuhr is in Korea for a weeklong trip that includes visits to Korean shipyards and defense firms. Earlier in the day, he met with Defense Minister Ahn Gyu-back to discuss broader cooperation in the security and defense industry.

The Canadian official's 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.