Hanwha Ocean hosted the Honourable Victor Fedeli, Ontario Minister of Economic Development, Job Creation and Trade and MPP for Nipissing, during his visit to South Korea on January 22, as part of ongoing discussions on industrial cooperation linked to Canada’s naval shipbuilding and sustainment priorities.

During the visit, Minister Fedeli toured Hanwha Ocean’s Geoje shipyard—one of the world’s largest and most advanced shipbuilding complexes—where he observed key facilities, including active submarine production lines and advanced manufacturing systems such as automated welding robots. He also boarded Jang Young-sil, the lead boat of the KSS-III Batch-II programme, which was launched on October 22, 2025, allowing the Minister to view the submarine’s interior and systems firsthand.

While touring the shipyard, Minister Fedeli expressed strong interest in Hanwha Ocean’s production capabilities and technological sophistication, noting that Jang Young-sil represents the same KSS-III platform proposed for Canada’s CPSP. The visit provided a direct, operational view of how an in-active production submarine programme underpins Hanwha Ocean’s ability to deliver new submarines on a reliable and accelerated timeline.

During briefings, Hanwha Ocean outlined its shipbuilding capabilities and the KSS-III submarine proposed for the Canadian Patrol Submarine Project (CPSP), which is designed to acquire up to 12 new submarines to replace the aging Victoria-class fleet and sustain Canada’s sovereign undersea capability over the coming decades.

Hanwha Ocean reaffirmed its commitment to strengthening industrial cooperation across Canada, including opportunities to support job creation, workforce and skills development, and the growth of local maritime and manufacturing capabilities in Ontario through sustained, long-term partnerships. Discussions highlighted Hanwha Ocean’s experience operating and supporting submarines in active service, and how that experience informs its approach to long-term industrial participation and in-country sustainment.

Hee-cheul Kim, President and CEO of Hanwha Ocean, said:
“CPSP is ultimately about what stays in Canada long after the submarines are delivered,” said Hee-cheul Kim, President and CEO of Hanwha Ocean. “Our focus is on how long-term sustainment, skills, and industrial capability can be built in parallel with platform delivery, drawing on Hanwha Ocean’s experience operating submarines in service today.”

In August 2025, Hanwha Ocean’s KSS-III was identified by the Government of Canada as one of the two qualified supplier for CPSP. The KSS-III is a proven, in-service, in-active production submarine that fully meets and exceeds all High-Level Mandatory Requirements (HLMRs) set by the and deployability in the Arctic with extended range and endurance that will provide stealth, persistence and lethality to ensure that Canada can detect, track, deter and, if necessary, defeat adversaries in all 3 of its oceans.

Hanwha Ocean has the fastest delivery schedule among the qualified options. Assuming a contract award in 2026, Hanwha Ocean can deliver four KSS-III submarines to fully replace Canada’s current Victoria-class fleet before 2035, with the first submarine arriving as early as 2032, and then deliver the additional eight submarines at a rate of one per year, completing the full fleet of 12 submarines by 2043.

Hanwha Ocean has engaged with more than 100 Canadian companies over the past two years as part of a nationwide outreach effort to build a long-term industrial ecosystem in Canada. To date, the company has teaming agreements, MOUs, and contracts in place with more than a dozen Canadian partners, including Babcock Canada, BlackBerry, CAE, Curtiss-Wright Indal Technologies, Des Nedhe Group, Gastops, Hepburn Engineering, J Squared Technologies, L3Harris Canada, ModestTree, and PCL Construction.

Looking ahead, Hanwha’s CPSP value chain is expected to further expand through cooperation with local shipyards, the domestic steel industry, satellite communications providers, and a wider range of Canadian industrial partners across multiple sectors.

About Hanwha Ocean
Hanwha Ocean is one of the world’s leading shipbuilders, with a proven track record across complex naval and commercial shipbuilding programmes. Its Geoje shipyard in South Korea—covering approximately five square kilometres—is among the largest and most advanced shipbuilding facilities globally, integrating design, construction, testing and lifecycle support within a single industrial complex.

For more than four decades, Hanwha Ocean has designed, built and sustained submarines and surface combatants for the Republic of Korea Navy, developing deep expertise in naval architecture, combat system integration and through-life support. Since its establishment in 1973, the company has delivered more than 1,400 vessels worldwide, including over 110 naval ships, alongside a broad portfolio of commercial vessels and offshore platforms.

KSS-III Platform Overview
The proposed KSS-III-based Canadian Patrol Submarine is a proven, in-service platform actively operated by the Republic of Korea Navy. Developed through decades of indigenous design and spiral development, KSS-III represents the latest evolution of Hanwha Ocean’s modern, ocean-going conventional submarine portfolio.

Equipped with lithium-ion batteries and an air-independent propulsion (AIP) system, the platform delivers extended submerged endurance, high levels of stealth, and strong operational flexibility. Its mature design, validated supply chain, and established sustainment data make it a low-risk solution well suited to supporting Canada’s long-term operational and industrial objectives under CPSP.

For media inquiries: 
Jeff SH Jung, jeff.sung@hanwha.com, +82-10-8488-6496
Keelan Keelan Green, green@prospectus.ca, 613-220-2016

Photo 1
On the 22nd, Victor Fedeli, Ontario Minister of Economic Development, Job Creation and Trade (fourth from left), poses for a photo with Hee-cheul Kim, President and CEO of Hanwha Ocean (fifth from left), and other officials in front of Jang Young-sil, a submarine built by Hanwha Ocean.

Photo 2
On the 22nd, Victor Fedeli, Ontario Minister of Economic Development, Job Creation and Trade (third from left), poses for a commemorative photo with Hee-cheul Kim, President and CEO of Hanwha Ocean (fourth from left), and other officials in front of a large Goliath crane.