Kang Hoon-sik: "Winning Canada Submarine Contract Not Easy, But We Are Confident"

Kang Hoon-sik, Chief of Staff at the Presidential Office, who completed visits to Canada and Norway as a special envoy, is being interviewed by reporters after returning through Terminal 2 of Incheon Airport on the 31st. Photo by Yonhap News Agency

On the 31st, Kang Hoon-sik, Chief of Staff at the Presidential Office, stated, "Our submarine technology is evaluated as being far superior to that of Germany, our competitor, and we are confident that we can overcome challenges through future industrial cooperation with Canada."

Kang, who visited Canada and Norway as a special envoy for strategic economic cooperation, made these remarks to reporters upon returning to Incheon International Airport that afternoon.

He added, "It was very meaningful that not only the government but also the private sector participated together, demonstrating our determination to achieve practical economic cooperation and tangible economic benefits. During the meeting with Prime Minister Mark Carney, which included business leaders, there was a strong expression of interest in Korea."

However, Kang explained, "A significant portion of our submarine technology was transferred from Germany, and there is an understanding in Canada that, along with Germany, it is naturally part of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) security cooperation system. Therefore, breaking into this market is not an easy task."

When asked, "When will the results be available?" Kang replied, "It could take as little as six months or as long as a year. There will also be a process in which the Canadian side visits Korea to confirm our commitment in person."

The 'Canada Patrol Submarine Project' (CPSP), including maintenance and other services, is estimated to be worth up to 60 trillion won. South Korea's Hanwha Ocean and HD Hyundai Heavy Industries are competing with German companies for the contract.

Regarding the 1.3 trillion won export contract for the Korean-made multiple rocket launcher 'Chunmoo' signed in Norway, Kang assessed, "This is the first major defense export achievement of the year and marks a successful first step toward Korea becoming one of the world's top four defense exporters."

Kang further emphasized, "Norway's decision to choose Korea has created a trend in which neighboring countries such as Sweden and Denmark are also considering Korea. This will be a significant help in expanding our export markets to other countries in the future."