Canada welcomes South Korean warship and submarine ahead of submarine procurement decision

Royal Canadian Navy officials and senior officers from the Republic of Korea Navy arrived at Canadian Forces Base Esquimalt on May 25, bringing a South Korean frigate and the KSS‑III class submarine Dosan Ahn Chang‑Ho. The ceremony, attended by Canadian and Korean diplomats, veterans and business leaders, marked a diplomatic and commercial visit that includes joint training through June 7 before the two navies join the Rim of the Pacific exercise in Hawaii.

The visit comes as Canada prepares to decide on the purchase of up to 12 new submarines for the RCN. South Korea’s Hanwha Ocean is on the short list alongside Germany’s Thyssen Krupp Marine Systems. Hanwha announced nine new partnerships with Canadian firms, aiming to supply Canadian‑made components for a future submarine class, a program projected to cost more than US$4 billion and create hundreds of jobs over the long term. Canada’s current submarine fleet consists of four aging Victoria‑class boats transferred from the United Kingdom in the early 2000s.