South Korea and Canada held a summit in Gyeongju ahead of the start of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation(APEC) leaders' meeting on Friday, during which they agreed to expand bilateral cooperation across sectors, including defense and the economy.

During the summit on Thursday, Lee said the two nations share a very special relationship that dates back to the Korean War, when Canada sent more than 27-thousand troops to fight under the United Nations Command.

The president said Canada is not only friendly to South Korea but also a key ally.

Lee also mentioned Canada's advances in artificial intelligence and the two sides' active cultural exchange stemming from Netflix's "Kpop Demon Hunters," which was created by Korean Canadian director Maggie Kang.

Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney said South Korea is a very important partner for his country in all areas, including defense, commerce and culture.

Noting that 2025 marks the tenth anniversary of the two nations' free trade agreement, Carney said bilateral exchanges and cooperation are expanding and becoming increasingly important.