Ottawa: Presidential chief of staff Kang Hoon-sik departed for Canada on Sunday as a presidential special envoy for strategic economic cooperation, in a visit widely seen as connected to Ottawa's submarine procurement project.

According to Yonhap News Agency, Kang highlighted the rapid expansion of ROK-Canada relations across various sectors such as the economy, energy, and high-tech industries. He emphasized the complementary nature of the two countries' economic and industrial structures and the immense potential for synergies from cooperation as global middle powers. Kang expressed his commitment to achieving tangible results in expanding strategic cooperation in energy, resources, supply chains, and high-tech industries during his second visit in four months as a special envoy.

Kang is expected to participate in a South Korea-Canada forum focusing on energy, security, and supply chains. His visit aims to bolster South Korean shipbuilders' efforts to secure Ottawa's submarine procurement project, which is valued at approximately 60 trillion won (US$39.9 billion). The consortium of South Korea's Hanwha Ocean-HD Hyundai Heavy Industries is competing with Germany's Thyssenkrupp Marine Systems for the contract, with Canada anticipated to announce the final bidder in late June.