Only a couple of weeks after receiving the Asia Pacific Foundation of Canada Media Fellowship for 2025, Laura-Julie Perreault, columnist for La Presse, hopped on a plane headed to Tokyo, and later to Seoul in October 2025. Little time could be spared while Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney—as part of diversification efforts—was about to head to the region to establish new partnerships with multiple Asian countries.
Canadian eyes were particularly riveted on South Korea, which was hosting the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) summit for the first time. The Prime Minister took advantage of this trip to visit the Hanwha Ocean shipyard, one of two companies bidding on a $20B submarine contract. This contract is not solely military. The Canadian government has clearly expressed that its choice, to be announced in the coming weeks, will fall on the company whose country offers better outcomes for the Canadian economy and defence industry.
Canada in search of submarines (and new friends)
Preceding the APEC summit, Laura-Julie published a two-article series on the behind-the-scenes of this deal, as well as the lessons Canada could learn from the South Korean defence industry.
Rearming in reverse
During her fellowship visit to Japan, Laura-Julie also examined rearmament challenges in a country with a pacifist constitution and which is, similarly to Canada, heavily dependent on the United States for its defence. The journalist travelled to Okinawa, Yokosuka, and Tokyo to explore, in a series of four articles, Japanese ambivalence on this subject.
Heavy metal, Japanese politics
Her trip to Japan could not have come at a better time with the election of Sanae Takaichi as prime minister, who campaigned heavily on Japan's rearmament.
The Great Forgotten Ones of Rearmament
On the other hand, in Japan as well as in South Korea, Laura-Julie explored the impact of militarization on women, a subject often overlooked in Asia, but also in Canada.
Upon her return, Laura-Julie Perreault attended the annual conference of CÉRIUM's Chair in Asian and Indo-Pacific Studies.
APF Canada’s Media Fellowship program offers up-and-coming and established Canadian journalists the opportunity to spend time in Asia researching and preparing stories. The program aims to help Canadian journalists become better informed about this dynamic part of the world in order to write and broadcast insightfully on Asia and the Canada-Asia relationship. Visit our Media Fellowship webpage for more information
