The country sent a delegation to Canada to pitch itself as a reliable source of military equipment.
South Korea is pitching Canada on a host of new military equipment deals, pointing out that the Asian nation can not only deliver defence systems quickly but that it is a trustworthy ally.
The push comes as recent actions by U.S. President Donald Trump, which include cutting Ukraine off of military supplies and threatening to annex Canada, have American allies around the world reconsidering their security arrangements.
In Europe, there is a new effort underway to buy more military equipment from domestic or non-American sources to reduce reliance on a country run by an increasingly erratic president.
A delegation of a dozen South Korean defence industry and government officials visited Ottawa on March 5 and March 6, with proposals to provide the Canadian Forces with a variety of new equipment, including howitzers, training aircraft, rocket launchers and submarines.
The pitch included promises of significant benefits for Canadian industry as well as a secure supply chain.
Retired South Korean Admiral Steve Jeong, vice-president of Hanwha Ocean, said the company’s KS-III submarine now in service meets all of Canada’s requirements. “Once the contract is signed, we can deliver in six years,” he told the Ottawa Citizen.
The South Korean submarines, three of which are already built, can operate underwater for more than three weeks, without having to surface, he added. In addition, the boats have a range of more than 7,000 nautical miles, Jeong said. Those capabilities would make them valuable for Arctic operations.
Maintenance facilities would be established in Canada, and unlike with U.S. weapon systems, the South Koreans would provide Canada with total access to the onboard technology. In addition, Hanwha has already been signing alliances with Canadian firms for potential work on the proposal.
Some European nations have already turned to South Korea to supply military equipment because of ongoing problems with ordering from the U.S. or because of the effectiveness of the systems and speed in which they can be delivered.
South Korea is supplying Poland with more than $10 billion worth of howitzers, light attack aircraft, missile systems and tanks. It is also supplying Romania with more than $1 billion worth of howitzers. The deals include arrangements for the South Koreans to set up production lines in those countries to promote local jobs.
Because of South Korea’s alliance with the U.S., the country’s weapons are compatible with common NATO standards, the Reuters news agency reported in October 2024.
South Korea developed its own robust defence industry after being hit by rising prices and unreasonable demands linked to U.S.-produced equipment. “We had the same problems with the Americans,” said Jeong. “For our navy everything depended on the Americans but America kept raising the price. So we got upset (and) we developed on our own.”
The Canadian military is facing a dilemma in that the U.S. controls much of the technology on its equipment. The Americans have full control over software and hardware upgrades on Canada’s $19-billion fleet of F-35 fighter jets which are on order.
The Ottawa Citizen revealed Feb. 14 that defence industry officials had also warned that the U.S. controls many of the key systems onboard Canada’s new warships, allowing the Americans to hold this country hostage over future upgrades or even the provision of spare parts. Taxpayers are spending as much as $80 billion on a new fleet of Canadian Surface Combatants or CSCs to be constructed by Irving Shipbuilding.
Canadian defence industry officials had previously warned Jody Thomas, then the deputy minister at the Department of National Defence, and Bill Matthews, then deputy minister at the procurement department, about the potential dangers of U.S.-controlled technology and the lack of Canadian content onboard the CSCs. But those concerns were dismissed by department officials.
Instead, the Liberal government and military have doubled down on ordering U.S.-supplied equipment. In 2023, it ordered almost $30 billion in new military systems, most of those exclusively from American firms. That included an $8-billion deal with Boeing for the purchase of new surveillance aircraft. Previously, Liberal cabinet ministers had claimed Boeing was not an industrial partner that could be trusted. Another $2.5 billion is being spent to purchase drones from a U.S. firm.
The Liberal government had hoped the deals would placate American politicians who raised concerns Canada was not spending enough on defence. But the deals did not alter that criticism and Trump has only increased his threats against Canada.
The Canadian military leadership is close to their U.S. counterparts and is reluctant to shift its focus from America. Some retired Canadian Forces senior officers, such as former chief of the defence staff Gen. Rick Hillier, have voiced support for a Canada that is integrated more closely with the U.S. On Feb. 15, Hillier went on the social media website X to express his support for Canadian businessman Kevin O’Leary’s proposal for a common dollar, integrated border and immigration requirements with the U.S.
But retired Vice Admiral Mark Norman has warned that Canada is under attack from the Americans.
Norman argued in a Feb. 14 National Post column that Canada should not sit back and let the U.S. destroy the country. “This may need to include otherwise previously unthinkable actions such as shutting off our oil and gas, electrical power and critical supplies, as well as the abandonment of historic diplomatic and military relationships and commitments,” Norman pointed out.
David Pugliese is an award-winning journalist covering Canadian Forces and military issues in Canada. To support his work, including exclusive content for subscribers only, sign up here: ottawacitizen.com/subscribe
