[Gyeongju APEC] Canadian Prime Minister Surveys Hanwha Ocean Geoje Shipyard by Helicopter: "The Scale Is Tremendous"

"Arriving by helicopter, I was able to see what I had anticipated. The scale of the work is tremendous."

Prime Minister Kim Minseok and Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney are inspecting the assembly plant at Hanwha Ocean Geoje Shipyard in Geoje, Gyeongnam, on the 30th. On the left is Dongkwan Kim, Vice Chairman of Hanwha Group. 2025.10.30 Yonhap News Photo by Yonhap

Mark Carney, Prime Minister of Canada, who is visiting Korea to attend the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) Summit in Gyeongju, met with Vice Chairman Dongkwan Kim at the Hanwha Ocean Shipyard in Geoje, Gyeongnam, on the afternoon of the 30th. He remarked, "It is important to have a larger and deeper relationship with Hanwha." Prime Minister Kim Minseok also accompanied the visit, reaffirming Korea's commitment to security and defense cooperation with Canada.

Prime Minister Carney, guided by Vice Chairman Kim, toured the ship assembly plant and then inspected the interior of the Jang Yeong-sil, a 3,600-ton submarine recently launched. He also moved to another facility to observe a submarine currently under construction. Both the Korean and Canadian flags were displayed on the submarine.

As Prime Minister Kim examined part of the cylindrical hull, he asked, "Is that something you connect together?" Vice Chairman Kim replied, "Yes, that's correct. To build a nuclear-powered submarine, the width would need to be increased to some extent."

Prime Minister Carney's visit to the shipyard draws attention, as the Canadian government is preparing to issue a contract for a submarine construction and maintenance project worth up to 60 trillion won. Hanwha Ocean, along with HD Hyundai Heavy Industries, has been shortlisted as an eligible candidate for this project.

During Prime Minister Carney's visit, the Korean delegation included Prime Minister Kim Minseok, Vice Minister of National Defense Lee Doohee, Foreign Affairs Advisor Kwon Wonjik, Deputy Commissioner of the Defense Acquisition Program Administration Kang Hwansuk, and Michael Coulter, CEO of Hanwha Global Defense. On the Canadian side, Minister of National Defence David McGuinty and Ambassador to Korea Philippe Lafortune were present.