Canada and South Korea are in the process of building a stronger bilateral partnership. In May 2023, on the instructions of Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol, the foreign ministries of Canada and South Korea agreed to implement the Canada-South Korea Comprehensive Strategic Partnership Action Plan.[i] The Action Plan combines the strategic partnership and Indo-Pacific strategies.
It includes ambitious initiatives that will enable the two countries to work as partners in the Indo-Pacific and the North Pacific. Given South Korea’s upcoming hosting of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) and Canada’s G7 Presidency in 2025, the Action Plan provides a foundation for the two countries to deepen their cooperation on global issues. An annual bilateral Strategic Dialogue between senior officials will facilitate the implementation of the Action Plan.[ii]
The Action Plan builds on the achievements of the strategic partnership since September 2022. These include cooperation on critical minerals, energy security, negotiations on an agreement on the protection of military and defence information, high-level economic confidence dialogue, cooperation on defence equipment, bilateral climate change dialogue, foreign policy, development cooperation, joint R&D and Arctic issues. In addition, in line with the 60th anniversary of diplomatic relations, new work has been initiated on youth exchange programmes.[iii]
On 18 July 2024, South Korea and Canada’s top diplomats met to discuss ways to expand cooperation in regional security, economy, technology and other fields. During the meeting, South Korean Foreign Minister Cho Tae-yul and his Canadian counterpart Melanie Joly formally adopted an action plan to further enhance the comprehensive partnership covering broad areas such as security, economy, supply chains, technology, health and climate change.[iv]
Cho and Joly pledged to establish a high-level 2+2 economic security dialogue and institutionalise bilateral cooperation in July in the framework of talks involving senior foreign and defence officials. They also expressed concern about North Korea’s deepening military and economic co-operation with Russia under the comprehensive strategic partnership agreement signed at the June summit. Joly reiterated Canada’s support for efforts to denuclearise North Korea.[v]
Canada and South Korea share a common vision to protect and promote the rules-based international system. Canada and South Korea share a common vision of defending the rules-based international system. They aim to contribute to the maintenance of global peace and stability by defending democracy, freedom and human rights in multilateral fora such as the United Nations and ASEAN. In this context, Canada and South Korea will need to play a balancing role in the United States (US)-China rivalry. Noting human rights violations in North Korea, Canada and South Korea are co-operating to promote and protect human rights obligations. Protecting the rights of women and girls and ensuring gender equality are critical to building peaceful and prosperous societies. In particular, jointly advancing the goals set out in the Global Declaration on Information Integrity, deepening the human rights and international security dimensions, and holding the annual North Korean Human Rights Dialogue seem to be crucial for subsidiary interests in the region.
Canada and South Korea share common goals in combating climate change and promoting sustainable energy sources. Co-operation on the development of low-carbon energy sources and wildfire management plays a critical role in realising these goals. The fact that China is one of the world’s largest carbon emitters and the strong policies of the United States to combat climate change require Canada and South Korea to cooperate with these two great powers to contribute to global climate goals and increase their energy security.
In conclusion, Canada and South Korea have the potential for broad co-operation in the areas of rules-based international system, democracy, human rights, security, economy, climate change and health. While this cooperation is influenced by the global policies of China and the United States, Canada and Korea’s pursuit of an independent and balanced foreign policy will contribute to global peace, stability and prosperity. Regional actors can play an important role in this cooperation and help Canada and Korea achieve their strategic goals. In this direction, it is of great importance for the two countries to work towards common goals in multilateral platforms and bilateral cooperation areas.
Cooperation will not only strengthen bilateral relations, but also enhance global and regional stability. While this co-operation is shaped under the influence of great powers such as China and the United States, Canada and South Korea’s preserving their ability to act independently and pursuing a balanced foreign policy will lead to more sustainable and effective results in the long run. In this context, Canada and South Korea’s future cooperation will enable them to take important steps towards their goals of both protecting their national interests and ensuring global peace and stability.
[i] “Action Plan: Implementing the Canada-Korea Comprehensive Strategic Partnership”, Government of Canada, https://www.canada.ca/en/global-affairs/news/2024/07/action-plan-implementing-the-canada-korea-comprehensive-strategic-partnership.html, (Date of Access: 23.07.2024).
[ii] Ibid.
[iii] Ibid.
[iv] “S. Korea, Canada agree to enhance regional security, economic cooperation”, Korea Herald, https://www.koreaherald.com/view.php?ud=20240718050737, (Date of Access: 23.07.2024).
[v] Ibid.
