A bipartisan group of South Korean lawmakers will travel to Canada carrying a letter from National Assembly Speaker Woo Won-shik to meet with Canadian parliamentary officials, aiming to support Korea's bid for a 60 trillion won submarine contract.
According to the National Assembly on Tuesday, Rep. Maeng Sung-kyu of the Democratic Party and Rep. Yoo Yong-won of the People Power Party will visit Canada in the fourth week of this month to conduct submarine sales diplomacy at the parliamentary level. "The delegation, led by Rep. Maeng, will meet with Canadian parliamentary officials," a National Assembly official said. "They will deliver Speaker Woo's letter and highlight the excellence of Korean submarines."
The delegation is expected to meet with officials from the National Defence Committee (NDDN) of the Canadian House of Commons, which plays a role similar to the National Assembly's Defense Committee in Korea. "We are coordinating meeting schedules, including with MP Charles Sousa, who chairs the defense committee," a Defense Committee official said.
The delegation will also attend the welcoming ceremony for the Dosan Ahn Chang-ho submarine, which is crossing the Pacific Ocean to arrive in Canada in support of the contract bid. "We will meet and encourage Korean Navy personnel and domestic officials involved in the submarine contract competition," another Defense Committee official said. "They will also attend the arrival ceremony for the Dosan Ahn Chang-ho at Victoria, Canada." The Korean Navy plans to bring two 3,000-ton-class submarine model capsules containing seawater from Jinhae Naval Port as a goodwill gift between the two countries.
Germany's ThyssenKrupp Marine Systems (TKMS), the competitor in the contract race, has entered the bid with an "undeveloped submarine" that does not yet exist in physical form. Analysts say Korea's chances of winning the Canadian contract are high, given the all-encompassing diplomatic push involving the government, companies, and the parliamentary delegation. The Defense Committee had previously passed a "Resolution to Expand Defense and Defense Industry Cooperation between the Republic of Korea and Canada" through bipartisan agreement in March this year, providing rear support for the bid.
