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Cabinet approves Korea's military intel-sharing pact with Canada

Published: 27 Jan. 2026, 16:05 Updated: 27 Jan. 2026, 18:59

President Lee Jae Myung speaks during a Cabinet meeting at the Blue House in Seoul on Jan. 27, 2026. [JOINT PRESS CORPS]

The Cabinet on Tuesday approved Korea's military intelligence-sharing pact with Canada, a move to provide a legal framework for closer security and defense industry cooperation between the two nations.

The approval came about three months after President Lee Jae Myung and Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney agreed on the deal during their summit in late October on the sidelines of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation forum in Gyeongju, North Gyeongsang.

The agreement aims to make it easier for the two sides to share classified military and defense information.

It does not require parliamentary ratification and is expected to take effect once both governments complete the necessary administrative steps.

Once in force, the pact will support broader cooperation in areas such as defense procurement, industrial security, research and operational coordination, according to a joint statement released after the October summit.

Korea has been seeking to strengthen defense industry cooperation with Canada, as it eyes a multibillion-dollar Canadian submarine project.

A Korean consortium, led by Hanwha Ocean and HD Hyundai Heavy Industries, has been short-listed as a final contender, alongside Germany's ThyssenKrupp Marine Systems.

Yonhap