1. Vice Minister of Foreign Affairs Choi Jong Kun delivered congratulatory remarks at the Korea-Canada Forum, a major private sector forum between the Republic of Korea and Canada, on the morning of October 23, and stressed the need for cooperation between the two countries in the post-COVID-19 era.

o Vice Minister Choi expressed appreciation to Canadian veterans of the Korean War and mentioned the ROK government’s donation of masks to them, and noted with appreciation that bilateral relations have been further deepening through the conclusion of the ROK-Canada FTA, thriving people-to-people exchanges, and close communication on COVID-19 response between high-level officials of the two countries including the leaders.

o In addition, Vice Minister Choi proposed that in order to expand bilateral cooperation in the post-COVID-19 era, the two countries work together in leading global cooperation to strengthen the multilateral order; closely cooperate on the ROK’s Digital and Green New Deals and in the Fourth Industrial Revolution-related fields including artificial intelligence where Canada has strength; and cooperate for the denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula and the establishment of permanent peace.

2. Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Marta Morgan who delivered congratulatory remarks on behalf of the Canadian government noted that the two countries, as partners sharing common understanding and values, are working closely together on global issues including regional security, human rights, gender equality, the Arctic, climate change, COVID-19 response, and vaccine development, as well as on the international stage including the United Nations (UN), the World Trade Organization (WTO), the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), and the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC). She added that Canada, as the ROK’s long-time ally and a Pacific country, would continue to contribute to peace and stability on the Korean Peninsula.

3. The Korea-Canada Forum, which holds its 17th meeting this year, is a private-sector forum established in 1996 to promote continued development of ROK-Canada relations and expand bilateral cooperation, and this year’s meeting was held in a virtual format.

o The Forum was attended on the ROK side by former Prime Minister Lee Hong-koo, former Senior Secretary to the President for Foreign Affairs and National Security Yim Sung-joon, and President of the Seoul Forum for International Affairs Kim Myung-ja (former Minister of Environment) and on the Canadian side by former Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Leonard Edwards, Senator Yonah Martin, and Dean of Carleton University’s Sprott School of Business Dana Brown, as well as about 50 participants of the two countries including Ambassador to Canada Chang Keung-ryong and Canadian Ambassador to the ROK Michael Danagher. The participants discussed ways to expand economic and business cooperation as well as political and security cooperation between the two countries.