APEC TRADE ENVOYS GATHER IN JEJU FOR TALKS

Welcome to Press Perspective for this Friday May 16th here in Seoul.

I'm Min Sun-hee.

Trade envoys representing the 21 economies under the Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation forum touched upon trade here in Korea amid the Trump administration's tariff campaign.

For more I have Steven Borowiec with Japanese weekly news magazine Nikkei Asia.

Steven welcome back.

I also have independent journalist Jessica Stone joining our talk live from Washington D.C.

Jessica Stone it's great to have you on.

1) Steven, trade delegates from the Asia-Pacific region addressed economic concerns in the southern island of Jeju starting yesterday .

2) Steven, also in Jeju on this Friday, Trade Industry and Energy Minister Ahn Duk-geun and U.S. Trade Representative Jamieson Greer sought bilateral tariff talks on the margins of the APEC meeting.

3) Jessica, speaking at a Saudi-U.S. Investment Forum in Riyadh earlier this week, U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent claimed South Korea came forward with "very good" proposals DURING last month's 2-PLUS-2 meeting despite its political transition period.

4) Steven, talk has been spreading about South Korea's shipbuilding industry being used as a bargaining chip in tariff talks with the U.S.

5) And Jessica, despite their differences, I understand U.S. lawmakers across the aisle stand together with regard to rebuilding America's shipbuilding industry.

6) Meanwhile, Jessica, China and the U.S. recently agreed to slash bilateral tariffs following talks in Geneva last weekend.

7) Steven, back in Korea, a number of high-profile visits by American delegations to Korea in recent times and their meetings with defense industry leaders here has some pundits forecasting greater growth in the country's defense exports.

8) Jessica, domestically there in the U.S., what has been the impact of Mr. Trump's tariffs thus far?