(Seoul) Ottawa wants South Korea and Canada “to become the best friends in the world,” Foreign Affairs Minister Melanie Joly said Tuesday after starting closer economic security talks with her counterparts in Seoul. .
Mme Joly arrived in the South Korean capital with Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, who is making his first official visit to the country, as the two governments attempt to forge closer ties and work together on global security issues.
The Minister of Industry, François-Philippe Champagne, joined Mme Joly to start a dialogue in high places “on economic security”, with the two countries pledging to hold regular meetings and monitor their progress in moving away from dependence on China.
PHOTO ADRIAN WYLD, THE CANADIAN PRESS
Francois-Philippe Champagne and Melanie Joly
The visit by Mr. Trudeau, who is expected to stay there until he travels to Japan for the G7 leaders’ summit in Hiroshima on Thursday, follows the trip of South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol in Ottawa last fall.
Since then, the two countries have released their respective Indo-Pacific strategy, providing a roadmap to strengthen military and economic relations in this region, in order to counterbalance Beijing’s influence.
Tina Park, a lecturer at the University of Toronto and CEO of The Park Group, said the frequency of meetings between the leaders of the two countries reflects their commitment to building a stronger relationship between Seoul and Ottawa.
“There is new momentum, as we reflect this year on the 60e anniversary of diplomatic relations between Canada and Korea,” wrote Ms.me Park in an email.
“I don’t think there was a time when Korea and Canada were as close as they are now, and I don’t think we’ve had a time when our two leaders met so frequently,” the week said. latest Lim Woongsoon, South Korea’s Ambassador to Canada, during an interview in Ottawa.
Green economy
South Korea is Canada’s seventh largest trading partner for imports and exports, with merchandise trade of $16.7 billion in 2021.
Trudeau is expected to address the country’s National Assembly on Wednesday. He is also to visit the Seoul National Cemetery and participate in the opening of a memorial trail honoring the sacrifices of Canadian soldiers during the Battle of Kapyong.
The green economy and climate change, as well as the establishment of a youth mobility program between the two countries, are among the priorities of this official trip.
Ambassador Lim said Canada and South Korea have good reason to strengthen their economic and cultural ties. In addition to its large diaspora in Canada, South Korea has significant commercial interests in the critical minerals Canada has to offer, he pointed out. And both countries are aligned on their commitments to move away from GHG-emitting fuels.
“We have more to offer than K-pop and drama Koreans,” he said with a laugh, referring to the country’s genres of music and TV series that have become hugely popular around the world.
Youth mobility
Canada and South Korea also appear to be in talks on how to make it easier for young people to work in the two countries. Mr. Lim indicated that they expect to sign a memorandum of understanding on youth mobility.
He did not give details, but the two countries already have a working holiday program. Canada has agreements with other countries to issue visas for student internships and career development for young professionals. “We are going to bring more young Koreans to Canada next year,” Lim said.
The Liberal government is focused on building closer relations with South Korea and Japan as it seeks to expand its alliances beyond traditional Western partners amid a growing threat from Russia and Japan. tensions with China.
South Korean companies were also worried about overreliance on Chinese suppliers, Lim said. The ambassador said that’s why Trudeau’s visit will focus on supply chain resilience — with the transition to green energy “high on the agenda.”
South Korean companies have shown interest in Canada for electric vehicles. SK On Co., for example, wants to launch a battery component factory in Bécancour, near Trois-Rivières.
The dispute with Stellantis
There has been a dispute for several days between the federal government and automaker Stellantis, which was building an electric vehicle battery plant in Windsor, Ont., in partnership with South Korean battery maker LG Energy Solution.
Stellantis halted construction on Monday, saying the federal government “didn’t live up to what was agreed to.”
At Tuesday night’s press conference in Seoul, Minister Champagne said he was confident Ottawa would reach an agreement with Stellantis. He said the talks were focusing on production subsidies to match the incentives offered by the Americans under the “Reduction of Inflation Act.”
Mr. Champagne said he would meet Wednesday with the senior management of LG Energy Solution and Stellantis at a state dinner in Seoul. He said his intention was to reassure the Canadian position and that he wants the investment to go ahead.
He took the opportunity to challenge the government of Ontario, with which Ottawa is a partner under the agreement. “My message to Premier Ford and (Economic Development, Job Creation and Trade Minister) Victor Fedeli is to do what we’ve always done together. You know when we work together, it’s the Canadians who win, it’s the auto workers in this case, it’s the industry that wins”.
Liquefied natural gas
Beyond critical minerals, Ambassador Lim said South Korea is focused on moving towards cleaner fuel sources.
He said South Korean companies are investing heavily in hydrogen and ammonia plants around the world and are keen to expand into Canada. The Ambassador puts current investments in Canadian green technologies at $8 billion.
The Business Council of Canada is asking Trudeau to make more of a case for liquefied natural gas (LNG), after an Indo-Pacific strategy heavily focused on renewable energy. Both Japan and South Korea are trying to wean themselves off coal, and Canadian industry says LNG is a good transition fuel as countries gradually adopt technologies like hydrogen.
Both South Korea and Japan have invested in the LNG Canada project, which is expected to launch in 2025, and Lim said Seoul fully expects the second phase of the project to continue. He pointed out that South Korea is committed to becoming carbon neutral, but needs an interim solution as it tries to close 50 coal-fired power plants.