Backgrounder
Canada and the Republic of Korea (Korea) are building a stronger bilateral partnership. As directed by Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and President Yoon Suk Yeol in May 2023, we, the Ministers of Foreign Affairs of Canada and Korea, have agreed to an Action Plan to implement the Canada-Korea Comprehensive Strategic Partnership (CSP). The Action Plan joins together the CSP with our Indo-Pacific strategies to build toward a stronger friendship. It expands on each thematic area of the CSP with aspirational initiatives to work toward together as partners in the Indo-Pacific and North Pacific. Keeping in mind the upcoming Korea’s APEC Chairship and Canada’s G7 Presidency in 2025, the Action Plan also provides a firm basis for our two countries to further enhance cooperation on global issues based on our CSP. A bilateral Strategic Dialogue between senior officials will review the implementation of the Action Plan on an annual basis.
The Action Plan builds on achievements in the CSP since September 2022, including a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) on Cooperation in Critical Mineral Supply Chains, the Clean Energy Transition and Energy Security, the launch of negotiations toward an agreement on the protection of classified military/defence information, a High-Level Economic Security Dialogue (2+2), Defense Materiel Cooperation MOU and Research & Development (R&D) MOU, our first bilateral Climate Change Dialogue and MOU on Climate Change Cooperation, bilateral meetings on foreign policy, development cooperation, and the Arctic, a new MOU concerning Youth Mobility, and reciprocal visits by President Yoon and Prime Minister Trudeau to Ottawa and Seoul, respectively, to celebrate the 60th anniversary of diplomatic relations.
Pillar 1: Defending the Rules Based International System, Democracy, Freedom, Human Rights, and Gender Equality
Rules-Based International System
Protect and uphold the rules-based international system, including the rule of law in the Indo-Pacific and beyond.
Democracy and Freedom
Support resilient democratic governance through cooperation within multilateral and regional intergovernmental organizations, like the UN and ASEAN, and partnerships and initiatives like the Summit for Democracy, the Freedom Online Coalition, the Media Freedom Coalition, and the Community of Democracies, among others.
Human Rights
Work together to actively promote and protect human rights obligations in the Indo-Pacific and around the world including in North Korea, and seek accountability for human rights violations.
Gender Equality
Create conditions that enable everyone, including women and girls, to participate meaningfully in the development of peaceful and prosperous societies. Work together, bilaterally and in multilateral spaces to promote and protect the rights of women and girls.
Initiatives: Jointly advance the objectives set out in the Global Declaration on Information Integrity; Jointly deepen our collective understanding of the legal, human rights, and international security dimensions of the practice of arbitrary detention in state-to-state relations; Annually hold the bilateral North Korean Human Rights Dialogue; Share relevant information through exchanges between the divisions responsible for disinformation; Explore bilateral discussions to enhance cooperation on the governance, norms and standards of AI and other emerging technologies; Strengthen cooperation on shared priorities in the polar regions (Arctic and Antarctic).
Pillar 2: Strengthening Security and Defence Partnerships, including Peacekeeping and Maritime Security
Security Partnerships
Share more information and deepen partnerships in security, particularly for non-traditional security threats that increasingly destabilize our societies, including climate change, health and food security, and cyber and emerging disruptive technologies.
Defense Partnerships
Advance shared defense priorities through bilateral and multilateral initiatives, in the Indo-Pacific and around the world. Utilize the Canada-Korea Defence Materiel Cooperation MOU signed in December 2022 and annual engagement through the Canada-Korea Joint Meeting (Materiel) to share technical information, discuss defense equipment and technology issues of mutual interest, and identify opportunities for bilateral defense materiel cooperative projects. Work together to encourage collaboration between respective defense industries. Cooperate in accordance with the Canada-Korea R&D MOU of January 2023, in research, development, testing, evaluation, and prototyping in support of common defense and security interests.
Peacekeeping and WPS
Support Women, Peace and Security (WPS), and advance the meaningful participation of women in defence & security, peace operations, and peace negotiations.
Maritime Security
Cooperate on maritime security, supporting navigation and overflight rights, and countering illegal, unreported and unregulated (IUU) fishing in the North Pacific.
Initiatives: Conclude negotiations toward an agreement on the protection of classified military/defence information; Upgrade bilateral security and defense cooperation by launching a Canada-Korea High-Level Foreign Policy and Defense 2+2 Meeting to establish a framework for a security and defense industry partnership; Explore cooperation on joint defense capacity building initiatives with regional partners; Pursue under the Canada-Korea R&D MOU the initiation of a project to facilitate the cooperative development of airborne anti-submarine warfare capabilities; Joint work on advancing WPS, including the meaningful participation of women in peace operations through joint or multilateral efforts, or at the UN; Enhance efforts bilaterally and together with partners to counter North Korea’s maritime sanctions evasion; Consider ways of addressing other maritime security challenges in the Indo-Pacific through enhanced maritime domain awareness and relevant instruments such as the Regional Cooperation Agreement Combatting Piracy and Armed Robbery against Ships in Asia (ReCAAP); Continue engagement and information sharing on maritime safety at the North Pacific Coast Guard Forum; Explore joint action to combat IUU fishing; Explore increased bilateral cyber cooperation; Increase cooperation as partners through NATO.
Pillar 3: Enhancing Economic Prosperity and Security, Cooperating on Supply Chains, Critical Minerals, and ST&I, and Promoting Trade and Investment
Development Cooperation
Cooperate on development assistance in Southeast Asia and the Pacific Islands, based on our respective Indo-Pacific Strategies, to build resilience, address climate change, and support sustainable growth.
Economic Prosperity and Security
Engage on economic security priorities, including establishing predictable investment environments, cooperating on advanced and emerging technologies, and expressing opposition to economic coercion.
Supply Chains
Continue to work together, bilaterally and multilaterally, to ensure that supply chains are resilient and fluid through mechanisms such as early warning systems. Strengthen and diversify supply chains in key industrial sectors to enhance the timely movement of goods and materials and build more resilient economies. Promote high environmental, social, and corporate governance (ESG) standards, including responsible business conduct and forced labour prevention for sustainable supply chains.
Critical Mineral
Develop critical minerals with high ESG standards and strengthen critical mineral supply chains to position us as globally competitive players in clean technologies, including batteries and zero-emission vehicles.
Science, Technology, and Innovation:
Leverage the Agreement for Science, Technology, and Innovation Cooperation (2017) to strengthen cooperation in priority areas identified under the Canada-Korea Joint Science and Technology Cooperation Committee (JSTCC) and expand funding support for bilateral co-innovation partnerships.
Trade and Investment
Enhance engagement under the Canada-Korea Free Trade Agreement (CKFTA) (2015) and build on its success to increase bilateral trade ties and address obstacles including any market access barriers, to increase the flow of investment, goods, and services between our countries. Support and facilitate Canadian and Korean businesses investing and operating in Korea and Canada respectively to harness the full potential of broader economic and supply chain cooperation, including ongoing projects to strengthen electric vehicles (EV) supply chains, and promote more FDI opportunities in emerging sectors in our respective countries. Collaborate in multilateral fora such as the WTO, Ottawa Group, APEC, and others to support a rules-based international trading system.
Initiatives: Hold regular Policy Consultations on Development Cooperation; Implement outcomes of the High-Level Economic Security Dialogue (2+2) and Economic Policy Dialogue; Advance cooperation in Supply Chain Early Warning Systems (EWS); Implement the Action Plan of the MOU on Cooperation in Critical Mineral Supply Chains, the Clean Energy Transition and Energy Security; Advance priorities outlined in the Agreement for Science, Technology, and Innovation Cooperation and foster stronger linkages between our countries’ researchers and innovators.
Pillar 4: Addressing Climate Change and the Environment, Supporting Energy Security, and Developing Sustainable Energy Sources
Climate Change and the Environment
Address the triple crises of climate change, biodiversity loss, and pollution, mitigate their impacts, and support responsible environmental stewardship for generations to come. Building on the successful deployment of Korean personnel during Canada’s 2023 wildfire season, deepen cooperation in wildland fire management, understanding that wildfires have increased both in frequency and magnitude due to effects of climate change.
Energy Security & Sustainable Energy Sources
Ensure the energy transition is sustainable and inclusive, strengthen cooperation on low-carbon hydrogen, ammonia, LNG, and biofuels supply chains, and advance the technologies required for the clean energy transition and mutual energy security. Support clean technology commercialization through technology demonstrations to achieve energy sustainability as well as climate and environment goals.
Initiatives: Convene regular Climate Change Dialogues between Climate Change Ambassadors; Continue exchanges on bilateral priority areas through the Environmental Affairs Councilunder the Canada-Korea Free Trade Agreement (CKFTA); Implement the MOU on Climate Change Cooperation; Exchange information on best practices to implement the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework; Explore mechanisms to increase cooperation on wildland fire management, including wildfire response; Share information and best practices to support the transition from coal power generation to cleaner energy; Implement the Action Plan of the MOU on Cooperation in Critical Mineral Supply Chains, the Clean Energy Transition and Energy Security; Collaborate within the Global Carbon Pricing Challenge; As signatories to the Clydebank Declaration, strengthen collaboration on transportation decarbonization, with a focus on marine shipping.
Pillar 5: Deepening Partnerships in Health and Culture
Health
Promote global health and support initiatives within multilateral institutions to advance shared health-related priorities.
Culture
Celebrate the achievements of our artists, creators, innovators, and intellectuals while encouraging cultural partnerships, exchanges and joint projects in various fields including culture, arts, sports and other creative industries.
People-to-People Ties
Expand people-to-people ties among youth, civil society, and government to open opportunities for mutual exchanges of people, perspectives, and policy expertise.
Initiatives: Intensify cooperation on fighting tuberculosis (TB) and other diseases, including through deepened engagement with the Stop TB Partnership and opportunities for health research collaboration; Exchange information and best practices to mutually strengthen the capacities of our national public health institutions so as to enhance preparedness, adaptiveness and resilience against future infectious disease threats; Implement the 2024-2025 Canada-Korea Year of Cultural Exchanges; Sign the Agreement on Cooperation in Audiovisual Coproduction; Implement the MOU concerning Youth Mobility; Continue knowledge sharing and cooperating on regular migration, mobility, and refugee policy.
