Wendy Cutler, Vice President of the Asia Society Policy Institute and a renowned expert on U.S. trade policy, participated as a keynote speaker and discussed the impact of the Trump administration’s trade policies on Korea and the Asia-Pacific region.

In his welcoming remarks, KOPEC Co-Chairman Chul Chung stated, “While uncertainty in the global trade environment has increased following the launch of Trump’s second administration, it is crucial to seek new opportunities amid these challenges.” He further emphasized that “With Korea hosting this year’s APEC Summit, in-depth discussions are needed to establish a sustainable cooperation framework in the Asia-Pacific region.”

Vice President Cutler’s presentation, titled “Trade Policy under Trump 2.0: Implications for Korea and the Asia-Pacific Region,” provided insights into the recent trends in U.S. tariff policies and examined their potential ripple effects on Korean businesses and the Asia-Pacific economy.

The Q&A session facilitated in-depth discussions on key topics such as the outlook for U.S.-China relations and negotiation strategies for Korean businesses engaging with the U.S. Participants widely agreed that the APEC Summit in Korea should be leveraged as an opportunity to enhance the country’s global standing amid increasing economic uncertainties. There was also anticipation for meaningful progress in discussions on regional economic issues at the 1st APEC Senior Officials’ Meeting and Related Meetings, set to take place in Gyeongju from February 24th to March 9th.

The forum was attended by former vice minister-level officials, executives from major corporations, and leading domestic experts in economic and trade affairs. Notable participants included: Moonsung Kang (Professor, Graduate School of International Studies at Korea University), Tae Soo Kang (Invited Professor, KAIST), Jae Bong Noh (CEO, Sebitseom Co., Ltd.), Innwon Park (Professor, Graduate School of International Studies at Korea University), Kyungjin Song (Country Representative, The Asia Foundation Korea), Youngkwan Song (Senior Fellow, KDI), Wonkyu Shin (Visiting Research Fellow, Korea Economic Research Institute), Chong Ghee Ahn (Senior Advisor, Kim & Chang), Junsok Yang (Professor, Catholic University of Korea), Jukwan Lee (Director, National Center for APEC Studies at KIEP), Tae Kyu Lee (Head, Global Risk Management Team at FKI), Tae-Ho Lee (Senior Advisor, Lee & Ko), Young-shin Jang (Ph.D., Kakao Corp.), Yong Joon Jang (Professor, Kyung Hee University), Yoon Je Cho (Professor Emeritus, Graduate School of International Studies at Sogang University), Wook Chae (Former President, KIEP), Byung-il Choi (Professor Emeritus, Graduate School of International Studies at Ewha Womans University), Seokyoung Choi (Senior Advisor, Lee & Ko), and Jung-taek Hyun (Chairman, Jeongseok Inha Foundation) (in alphabetical order).

- Title: The 1st 2025 KOPEC Asia-Pacific Strategy Forum

- Date & Time: Friday, February 28, 2025, 07:30-09:00

- Venue: Conference Center, FKI Tower, Seoul

- Co-hosts: Korea Institute for International Economic Policy (KIEP), Federation of Korean Industries (FKI) / Korea Economic Research Institute (KERI)

- Contact: Soyoung Kwak, Senior Researcher, National Center for APEC Studies (sykwak@kiep.go.kr)