Keung Ryong Chang, ambassador of South Korea, says he hopes Canada’s forthcoming Indo-Pacific strategy will deepen the two countries’ already strong trade and economic ties.
The ambassador says Korea, a leading producer of hybrid and electric cars, is strengthening investment in Canada, including in the manufacture of batteries for electric vehicles.
He also says, with the global popularity of K-pop and Korean films such as “Parasite,” there is room for greater cultural co-operation with Canada, including as a shooting location for Korean pop videos and films.
Foreign Affairs Minister Mélanie Joly today appointed a panel of advisers to help frame the government’s Indo-Pacific strategy, which aims to diversify Canada’s trade relationships in the region and reduce its reliance on China.
The panel, co-chaired by political scientist Janice Gross Stein and former Liberal foreign affairs minister Pierre Pettigrew, will focus on issues including trade and increased security in the region.
The appointments come days after Prime Minister Justin Trudeau condemned as “provocative” the buzzing by China of a Canadian plane involved in enforcing UN sanctions against North Korea.
By Marie Woolf
