▲ South Korean Defense Minister Ahn Gyu-back and his Canadian counterpart, David McGuinty, shake hands during their meeting in Ottawa on Feb. 25, 2026, in this photo provided by the defense ministry in Seoul. (PHOTO NOT FOR SALE) (Yonhap)

S Korea-Canada-defense talks

Defense minister makes pitch for S. Korea's bid to secure Canada's submarine project

By Kim Hyun-soo

SEOUL, Feb. 26 (Yonhap) -- Defense Minister Ahn Gyu-back has made an emphatic pitch for South Korea's bid to win Canada's high-profile submarine procurement project during talks with his Canadian counterpart in Ottawa, saying the Asian country's participation in it would serve as a "turning point" for bilateral defense cooperation.

Ahn and Canadian Defense Minister David McGuinty met on Wednesday (local time), hours before the "two-plus-two" meeting of the two countries' defense and foreign ministers amid Seoul's stepped-up push to secure the Canadian Patrol Submarine Project, estimated at 60 trillion won (US$41 billion).

"Minister Ahn emphasized that the Republic of Korea's participation in the next-generation submarine project, which Canada has been pushing for, will go beyond just a simple arms export to serve as a turning point that will substantially develop bilateral defense and arms industry cooperation," the defense ministry said in a release.

"He also underscored that South Korea can be the best choice for Canada, which is seeking a mid- and long-term partnership as mentioned in its Defense Industrial Strategy," it added.

Canada has been pushing for the project to procure up to 12 submarines for patrol missions. A South Korean consortium of Hanwha Ocean and HD Hyundai Heavy Industries Co. and Germany's ThyssenKrupp Marine Systems is in the high-stakes competition.

During the talks, McGuinty expressed his expectations that the two countries' cooperation will deepen in areas, including space and maritime security, according to the ministry.

Ahn asked for Canada's support in Seoul's policy for peace on the Korean Peninsula and North Korea's denuclearization, stressing Pyongyang's advancing nuclear and missile capabilities were becoming a "grave threat" to the international community.

The meeting comes ahead of the "two plus two" talks between their foreign and defense ministers, which will be followed by a joint military and defense intelligence-sharing pact and a press conference.

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