GEOJE - Prime Minister Mark Carney toured a South Korean submarine on Thursday during a visit to the shipyards of Hanwha Ocean, one of two companies vying to build Canada's next fleet of submarines.

Carney was joined by Defence Minister David McGuinty and Vice-Admiral Angus Topshee, Commander of the Royal Canadian Navy, along with South Korean Prime Minister Kim Min-Seok.

Hanwha officials also showed off their production facility, which features automated welding by robots.

Canada plans to buy up to 12 new submarines to replace the navy's aging Victoria-class fleet, as part of an effort to bolster the military's presence in the Arctic.

The South Koreans are pitching the submarine contract as the start of a wider industrial partnership between the two countries. Representatives from the

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