Visit by the Honourable George J. Furey, Q.C., Speaker of the Senate, and a Parliamentary Delegation, Republic of Korea

From November 11 to 14, 2018, the Speaker of the Senate, the Honourable George J. Furey, Q.C., led a parliamentary delegation on a visit to the Republic of Korea. The delegation consisted of the Honourable Grant Mitchell, Senator, the Honourable Yonah Martin, Senator and the Honourable Sarajit S. Marwah, Senator. Accompanying the delegation were Mrs. Pascale Legault, Chief Corporate Services Officer and Clerk of the Standing Committee on Internal Economy, Budgets and Administration, Mr. Stuart Barnable, Chief of Staff to the Speaker, and Ms. Catherine Cuerrier, Secretary to the delegation.

The delegates met with the following officials in Seoul, Republic of Korea:

• His Excellency Lee Nak-yon, Prime Minister;
• His Excellency Moon Hee-sang, Speaker of the National Assembly of the Republic of Korea;
• The Honourable Rye Eun-he, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Education;
• The Honourable Pi Woo-Jin, Minister of Patriots and Veterans Affairs;
• The Honourable Sung Yun-mo, Minister of Trade, Industry and Energy;
• Mr. Heo Yong Beom, Chief of National Assembly Library; and
• Lieutenant General Wayne D. Eyre, Deputy Commander, United Nations Command.

The delegates also participated, accompanied by the Honourable Pi Woo-Jin, Minister of Patriots and Veterans Affairs, in a ceremony of remembrance at the United Nations Memorial Cemetery in the Republic of Korea. The delegates met with members of the Korea-Canada Parliamentary Friendship Group and with members of the Canadian business community in Korea. They visited the facilities of Hyundai Motorstudio Goyang and the facilities of the Canadian company CAE FSS Korea.

The purpose of the visit was to strengthen bilateral ties between the two countries, to promote democratic values and Canadian interests, and to contribute to good public governance through the sharing of information and the exchange of best practices. The visit also provided an opportunity to discuss issues related to trade and international development, educational cooperation and regional security. Finally, the visit served as an opportunity to remember those who served in the Korean War and the 516 Canadians who sacrificed their lives.

The report will be available once it has been tabled in the Senate.