I'm glad you said South Korea, because as we think about energy security and critical minerals, it's not just Japan that's going to be our partner. We should work with South Korea as well.
On the north Pacific side, this nomenclature is not actually recognized outside the region. When I first read it in the Indo-Pacific strategy, I wasn't sure what it meant. I work with many people at GAC and Defence. I understand they want to link the Arctic, but it's not a terminology that has currency within the region. If we want to get more Canadian contributions in the region and to be taken seriously, we need to speak the currency of the region. That means talking about northeast Asia rather than the north Pacific.
Still, South Korea shares many national interests with Canada. Importantly, it shares values with Canada. It's a clear partner for helping us engage with China, Southeast Asia and the broader region.