▲ Presidential chief of staff Kang Hoon-sik departs for Canada in his capacity as presidential special envoy for strategic economic cooperation on May 31, 2026, in this photo captured from his Facebook. (PHOTO NOT FOR SALE) (Yonhap)

presidential envoy-Canada

Presidential envoy visits Canada to expand ties, back submarine bid

SEOUL, May 31 (Yonhap) -- Presidential chief of staff Kang Hoon-sik departed for Canada on Sunday in his capacity as presidential special envoy for strategic economic cooperation in a visit widely seen as connected to Ottawa's submarine procurement project.

"ROK-Canada relations have been rapidly expanding across the economy, energy and high-tech industries," he wrote on his Facebook page. "Amid the prolonged Middle East crisis, I am keenly aware that the two countries' economic and industrial structures are highly complementary, and that the potential synergies from cooperation as global middle powers are enormous.

"As this marks my second visit in four months as special envoy, I will try my best to yield tangible results this time in expanding strategic cooperation between the two countries in energy, resources, supply chains and high-tech industries," he wrote.

Kang is expected to attend a South Korea-Canada forum on energy, security and supply chains and to support South Korean shipbuilders' efforts to win Ottawa's submarine procurement project worth as much as 60 trillion won (US$39.9 billion).

Currently, South Korea's Hanwha Ocean-HD Hyundai Heavy Industries consortium is competing with Germany's Thyssenkrupp Marine Systems for the deal, with Canada expected to announce the final bidder in late June.

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