President Moon Jae-in spoke by phone with Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau for 40 minutes from 8:50 this morning. They discussed measures to counter protectionism and recent developments on the Korean Peninsula.

President Moon and Prime Minister Trudeau agreed on the fact that both Korea and Canada heavily depended on trade, expressing concern over the recent global spread of protectionist moves. The two leaders concurred on the need to work closely together to preserve the order of international commerce revolving around free trade.

Concerning the recent move of the United States to impose tariffs on steel, Prime Minister Trudeau said that Canada had been exempted but it was a temporary measure. The Prime Minister added that the issue had not been settled yet as it was linked to the negotiations on the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA). He continued that Canada, which holds the G7 Presidency this year, would raise the issue at the 2018 G7 Summit in June. Speaking highly of Canada`s efforts to uphold the core value of free trade, President Moon said Korea also intended to join in such endeavors.  

President Moon said there were some positive developments on the Korean Peninsula recently, beginning with North Korea’s participation in the PyeongChang Winter Olympic and Paralympic Games. The President explained about the recent progress in the current state of affairs, including the result of the South Korean delegation’s visit to the North. In addition, the President asked Canada to continue to play a constructive role in the peaceful resolution of the North Korean nuclear issue. In response, Prime Minister Trudeau said the accomplishment that led not only to the inter-Korean summit but also a summit between the United States and North Korea was attributable to President Moon’s leadership. The Prime Minister went on to say that as a member of the international community and a steadfast friend, Canada would willingly support South Korea’s efforts to peacefully resolve the North Korean nuclear issue.