Trump Defends South Korean Investment in Alaska LNG Pipeline
US President Donald Trump has defended his announcement of a South Korean investment in Alaska LNG, saying he did not 'jump the gun' on the project. The liquefied natural gas project has been planned for decades but still lacks binding commitments.
The deal was part of a broader $350 billion strategic investment package made by South Korea as part of a trade agreement with Washington last year. Trump unveiled plans for South Korea to invest $200 billion in US projects, including the Alaska LNG pipeline and eight large nuclear power plants.
A key element of the plan is a proposed pipeline from the North Slope to an LNG liquefaction facility in Nikiski, which would cost more than twice as much as a comparable US Gulf Coast plant. Trump said South Korea's investment would also include a 6-gigawatt power plant in Texas and a natural gas pipeline.
However, Seoul quickly suggested that the $54 billion Alaska LNG pipeline was not yet set in stone. An official from Seoul's industry ministry reportedly expressed surprise at Trump's claim of an $8.4 billion project to push out crude from an aging oilfield, saying it was limited to what was in a joint fact sheet released in November 2025.