S. Korea Holds Interagency Meeting to Boost North America Defense Partnerships

The government held an interagency meeting Tuesday to assess defense industry partnerships in North America and discuss efforts to help Korean defense companies expand their presence in the region, the foreign ministry said. The meeting came at a time when a Korean consortium of two defense firms is seeking to win a Canadian patrol submarine deal, estimated at around 60 trillion won (US$40.7 billion), in what would mark another milestone in the country's sprawling arms exports. Attending Tuesday's meeting were officials from the foreign and defense ministries, the Defense Acquisition Program Administration and embassy officials from South Korean missions in North America via video links. At the meeting, Deputy Defense Minister Won Chong-dae highlighted that defense cooperation is emerging as a strategic asset linking national security and industrial competitiveness, the foreign ministry said in a release. He cast North America as a strategic stage for the future of the defense industry and sustainable growth. Won said the Canadian submarine project would provide critical momentum for South Korea to advance the strategy and demonstrate its defense capabilities. Deputy Foreign Minister Park Jong-han underscored the importance of overseas missions fulfilling their roles at the forefront of diplomatic consultations for defense cooperation with foreign partners. Park also called for efforts to explore new opportunities in defense industry cooperation with Latin American countries, the ministry said.