S. Korea signs document confirming gov't support for Canadian submarine bid

▲ This file photo taken Feb. 2, 2026, provided by Hanwha Ocean Co., shows Stephen Fuhr (5th from L), Canada's secretary of state for defense procurement, Hanwha Ocean CEO Kim Hee-cheul (6th from L) and other officials posing for a photo after visiting Hanwha Ocean's shipyard in Geoje, about 330 kilometers southeast of Seoul. (PHOTO NOT FOR SALE) (Yonhap)

S Korea-Canada submarine bid

S. Korea signs document confirming gov't support for Canadian submarine bid

By Lee Minji

SEOUL, Feb. 20 (Yonhap) -- South Korean ministries and defense firms on Friday signed an official document confirming the government's support for efforts to win a major Canadian submarine procurement project, officials said.

The move came as South Korea seeks to clinch the Canadian Patrol Submarine Project, valued at around 60 trillion won (US$41 billion), to supply up to 12 3,000-ton class naval submarines to Ottawa, with the deadline for the proposal set for early March.

Relevant government ministries, including the defense, foreign and industrial ministries, as well as the Navy and defense firms Hanwha Ocean Co. and HD Hyundai Heavy Industries Co., took part in signing the document, according to the Defense Acquisition Program Administration (DAPA).

The document reaffirms South Korea's will to support industrial cooperation projects that Cheong Wa Dae and relevant ministries have proposed in a responsible manner to help win the submarine procurement project, according to DAPA.

"The Canadian submarine project goes beyond proposing capabilities for a submarine and is an industrial cooperation package that should include government efforts for trust and implementation," DAPA Minister Lee Yong-cheol said.

A consortium of South Korea's Hanwha Ocean Co. and HD Hyundai Heavy Industries Co. has been shortlisted as one of the final two contenders, alongside Germany's ThyssenKrupp Marine Systems, to build submarines to replace Canada's aging Victoria-class fleet.

Canada has emphasized that contribution to its economy will be factored in for choosing the final winner, alongside the capabilities, delivery speed and price of the envisioned submarines.

In an interview with Yonhap News Agency in early February, Stephen Fuhr, Canada's secretary of state for defense procurement, has said that both South Korean and German companies fulfill high-level mandatory requirements for submarine capabilities and the "big deciding factor" would be which side offers the "maximum economic benefit" to Canada.

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