A meeting with President Lee happened the day after Canada chose Germany and Norway's TKMS submarine deal over South Korea's Hanwha.

Prime Minister Mark Carney is expected to announce Canada's high-stakes decision to buy a fleet of submarines from South Korea's Hanwha or Germany's TKMS.

South Korea has failed to win Canada's multibillion-dollar submarine program, with Germany's Thyssenkrupp Marine Systems (TKMS) selected as the preferred bidder