Presidential chief of staff Kang Hoon-sik departed for Canada on Monday as President Lee Jae Myung’s special envoy for strategic economic cooperation to support South Korea’s bid for a major submarine project.

Kang told reporters at Incheon International Airport that the competition has narrowed to South Korea and Germany and vowed to make every effort to secure the contract.

Kang said Canada considers industrial cooperation, including job creation, a key criterion, alongside submarine performance and price, and said he would convey South Korea’s commitment to expanding industrial and security cooperation in meetings with senior Canadian officials.

Kang said the submarine project is one of the largest defense deals the government is pursuing, estimating that it would generate at least 40 trillion won, or roughly 28 billion dollars, in domestic production and, if successful, create more than 20-thousand jobs across more than 300 partner companies.

The special envoy delegation includes Industry Minister Kim Jung-kwan, Defense Acquisition Program Administration Minister Lee Yong-cheol, and executives from Hanwha, HD Hyundai Heavy Industries and Hyundai Motor Group. 

After his visit to Canada, Kang is scheduled to travel to Norway to explore the export of South Korea’s Chunmoo multiple rocket launchers. He added that additional arms deals and defense cooperation initiatives are in the works with several countries, including Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Indonesia and Peru.