South Korea, Canada Finalize Defence Partnership

South Korean President Lee Jae Myung and Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney finalized an agreement to protect military and defence classified information, establishing a legal framework to underpin closer defence cooperation. The pact is part of a first-of-its-kind ROK–Canada Security and Defence Cooperation Partnership and is intended to support defence procurement, industrial security, research, operational coordination and the creation of a consultative body for defence-industry cooperation. Leaders said the agreement will expand bilateral coordination around Canada’s submarine procurement and cooperation on artificial intelligence in defence programs. They also explored opportunities for energy collaboration and framed the partnership as Canada’s first such defence cooperation with an Indo-Pacific country. The move aims to bolster interoperability, readiness and joint contributions to regional stability and follows talks at recent multilateral summits including APEC and the G7.