Ottawa and Seoul have signed a memorandum of understanding intended to bring South Korean auto manufacturing and investment to Canada, according to a document reviewed by The Globe and Mail.

The MOU stems from the Asian country’s campaign to win a multibillion-dollar contract to build up to 12 submarines for the Royal Canadian Navy.

Industry Minister Mélanie Joly and her counterpart, Kim Jung-kwan, Minister of Trade, Industry and Resources, signed the MOU this week as a government delegation from South Korea visits Ottawa to talk about the submarine bid. The ceremony took place Tuesday, a government official said.

The Globe and Mail is not naming the official because they were not authorized to speak on the matter.