This three-part series on Canada-South Korea technology security co-operation was authored by Tae Yeon Eom and produced with funding support from the Korea Foundation through its Policy-Oriented Research Program.
These policy briefs examine where technology and security meet in the Canada–South Korea relationship across three domains: artificial intelligence, quantum technology, and open-source software supply chain security.
This analysis comes at an opportune moment. On July 6, 2026, Canada selected Germany’s ThyssenKrupp Marine Systems over South Korea’s Hanwha Ocean as the supplier for its landmark 12-submarine procurement program. While the decision was a disappointment to many stakeholders in the Canada-South Korea relationship, it prompted a shift in focus to the next chapter in Seoul’s strategy vis-a-vis the Canadian defence market. As this series points out, the value of the two countries’ technology partnership transcends any one single contract, spanning vitally important areas such as artificial intelligence (AI), quantum technology, and cybersecurity.
The first brief in the series, titled “Building AI Defence Sovereignty Through Partnership,” defines military AI through the lens of cognitive sovereignty, noting that control over the software layer dictates battlefield decisions. The author proposes concrete mechanisms for deeper co-operation: a non-U.S. AI chip development alliance, jointly mandated open-architecture standards, a bilateral AI security testing exchange, and an Arctic-Pacific physical AI laboratory. Through these channels, Canada’s research strengths and South Korea’s industrial scale can be combined into a strategic asset.
The second brief, “Establishing Global Quantum Standards Through Collaboration,” looks at an area on which Canada’s foundational science and South Korea’s commercial deployment capacity are natural complements. Quantum computing will eventually break today’s encryption, it argues, exposing defence and financial communications now in transit. This brief charts a path toward a formally recognized Canada–South Korea quantum security standard, anchored in defence industrial benefit obligations. As the technology matures, Canada and South Korea can together become architects of a global quantum standard.
The third and final brief, titled “Securing Open-Source Software Supply Chains Through Harmonization,” confronts the exposed foundations beneath both AI and quantum efforts. Open-source software supply chains form the invisible infrastructure of this entire emerging security architecture, and the author demonstrates how this critical foundation is already under attack. For example, in June 2026, a North Korea-linked group breached 144 code packages within an 88-minute window, indicating how fast a single point of compromise can cascade through allied systems. The brief calls for a Canada–South Korea federated threat-intelligence bridge, harmonized software bill-of-materials standards, and a joint red-team testbed to close that gap before the next breach outpaces detection.
Overall, this series provides a working blueprint for Canada–South Korea technology co-operation that will strengthen the technology security of both nations.
