Trump unveils US$200b South Korean investment in US; Seoul hedges on Alaska pipeline
US President Donald Trump announced on Sept 30 that South Korea would invest about US$200 billion in US projects, the first major projects under a US$350 billion strategic investment package agreed in a 2025 trade deal. Seoul confirmed investments of US$22.3 billion in a Texas gas-fired power project and US$120 billion for eight nuclear reactors, but said the US$54 billion Alaska LNG pipeline would proceed only if certain commercial and legal conditions are met.
Why it matters: The announcement shows energy security and alliance-based investment commitments being negotiated together, with Seoul attaching commercial and legal conditions to the Alaska LNG project.