Ottawa: South Korea and Canada have convened a defense cooperation conference in Ottawa to bolster bilateral relations in the defense and arms sectors, the South Korean defense ministry announced on Friday. Vice Defense Minister Lee Doo-hee led the conference on Thursday, which gathered approximately 120 participants, including senior government and military officials from both nations.

According to Yonhap News Agency, attendees included Stephen Fuhr, Canada's Secretary of State for Defense Procurement, and Seok Jong-gun, Chief of South Korea's Defense Acquisition Program Administration. In his opening remarks, Lee emphasized that the conference would provide an opportunity to solidify the security partnership between the two countries and encourage practical cooperation in the defense, arms, and defense industry sectors.

Fuhr expressed optimism about expanding cooperation and investment opportunities across various fields, leveraging the growing partnership between South Korea and Canada. The South Korean defense ministry plans to organize similar conferences abroad next year to strengthen collaboration with key defense industry partners.

During a recent summit, President Lee Jae Myung and Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney agreed to enhance their strategic partnership in defense, security, and military intelligence sharing. The summit took place on the sidelines of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation gathering last week.