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Presidential chief of staff returns from Canada, expresses confidence in submarine bid

Published: 01 Feb. 2026, 16:43 Updated: 01 Feb. 2026, 18:59

Presidential Chief of Staff Kang Hoon-sik, left, delivers a personal letter from President Lee Jae Myung to Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney in this photo shared by Kang on Jan. 29. [NEWS1]

Presidential Chief of Staff Kang Hoon-sik returned to Korea on Saturday after a trip to Canada and Norway as a special envoy for President Lee Jae Myung, touting a major defense export deal with Norway and expressing confidence in Korea’s bid for Canada’s multibillion-dollar submarine project.

Kang briefed reporters at Incheon International Airport on Saturday, highlighting the outcome of Korea’s defense talks with Norway and outlining progress in Canada’s submarine procurement process.

“Korea’s defense industry has made an early advance toward becoming one of the world’s leading defense powers,” Kang said about Korea's 1.3 trillion-won ($895 million) export contract with Norway for the Chumoo multiple rocket launcher system.

The Chumoo launcher system is a Korean-made artillery weapon that can rapidly fire guided and unguided rockets to strike targets over long distances with high precision.

“By choosing Korea, Norway has created momentum for nearby countries such as Sweden and Denmark to also consider Korea,” Kang said.

Kang also expressed confidence regarding the Canadian Patrol Submarine Project, a competition that industry insiders estimate to be valued at up to 60 trillion won.

The Jang Bogo-class submarine departs Jinhae Naval Base Command in Changwon, South Gyeongsang, on its final voyage on Nov. 19, 2025. [YONHAP]

“We conveyed to Canada the proven performance of our submarines, the operational record with the Korean Navy and world-class shipbuilding capabilities that allow on-time delivery,” Kang said. “We proposed a practical industrial cooperation model that goes beyond a simple weapons sale and will benefit future generations of both countries.

"The selection process could take anywhere from six months to a year. Canadian officials may visit Korea to confirm Seoul's commitment."

Kang acknowledged that Canada’s close security cooperation with Germany as a NATO member could factor into the decision. He said, however, that Korea holds an advantage in submarine technology.

“At a meeting with Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney and business leaders, Canada showed strong interest in Korea,” Kang said. “They evaluated our submarine technology as far superior, and we are confident that industrial cooperation with Canada will help address any remaining challenges.

"We signed five memorandums of understanding on-site that outline concrete plans to create new cooperation models in areas where Korea has global competitiveness, including steel, shipbuilding, defense, AI and space."

The two sides also agreed to strengthen cooperation between governments and companies in future mobility and key minerals, areas that drew particular interest from the Canadian government, according to Kang.

Kang emphasized that executives from major Korean companies joined the trip, highlighting a coordinated public-private “one team” approach. Representatives from Hyundai Motor, Hanwha and HD Hyundai Heavy Industries accompanied the delegation.

This article was originally written in Korean and translated by a bilingual reporter with the help of generative AI tools. It was then edited by a native English-speaking editor. All AI-assisted translations are reviewed and refined by our newsroom.
BY KO SEUNG-PYO [[email protected]]