Ottawa: A special presidential delegation to Canada has underscored South Korea's commitment to enhancing bilateral cooperation with the North American partner under the Lee Jae Myung government, in areas including defense, security, and energy, the foreign ministry said Thursday. The delegation, led by Rep. Kim Byung-joo of the ruling Democratic Party, delivered the Lee government's position in meetings with top Canadian officials in Ottawa this week, the ministry said in a release.

According to Yonhap News Agency, the delegation met with Canadian Foreign Minister Anita Anand, Defense Minister David McGuinty, and Michael Sabia, the clerk of the Privy Council. In the meeting with Anand, Kim delivered a personal letter from Lee to Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney, in which Lee expressed his intent to expand bilateral cooperation based on the two countries' comprehensive strategic partnership. Anand expressed hope to further deepen collaboration with South Korea across various sectors as a key regional partner.

The delegation also separately met with McGuinty and explained South Korea's interest in actively participating in Canada's defense modernization efforts, highlighting that South Korea would be an "optimal partner" in Canada's next-generation submarine and artillery programs, the ministry said. McGuinty, in turn, hoped that South Korea will work with Canada to bolster his country's defense capabilities, jointly respond to shared security challenges, and cooperate in areas like energy, space, quantum technologies, and artificial intelligence.

The delegation also met with Sabia and delivered Lee's strong commitment to advancing South Korea-Canada relations, acknowledging Canada's efforts to diversify its economic and security partnerships.