Trump Brushes Off South Korea’s $54 Billion Alaska Pipeline Doubts

President Trump on Friday rejected the suggestion that he moved too quickly in announcing South Korean funding for a natural gas pipeline in Alaska.

His response came after South Korean officials indicated that the project was still being discussed.

Before leaving the White House for a campaign stop, Trump was asked about the difference between his announcement and the caution coming from South Korean officials.

“Well, I didn’t jump the gun. I mean, they were there, and they were represented,” Trump told reporters.

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Trump made clear that he was not especially concerned if South Korea ultimately decided against the investment. “If they don’t want to do it, that’s OK with me. I’ll just charge them more.”

The president then delivered another warning that appeared to point directly toward tariffs.

“Tell them if they don’t sign shortly, I’m going to double it up,” he added, apparently referring to tariffs.

The exchange followed Trump’s announcement Wednesday that South Korea would invest as much as $200 billion in energy projects across the United States. That package included a liquefied natural gas pipeline in Alaska that has long been planned.

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Trump said the investment package would also include eight nuclear power plants and a natural gas plant in Texas.

He specifically placed South Korea’s investment in the Alaska pipeline at $54 billion.

The energy announcement came as part of a wider trade agreement between the United States and South Korea.

Under that agreement, the United States would lower the tariff rate applied to South Korea to 15%.

Trump presented the Alaska pipeline investment as one piece of the broader energy commitment.

South Korean officials, however, responded with language that was considerably more conditional than the president’s announcement.

South Korean President Lee Jae Myung addressed the Alaska LNG project in a social media post. Lee wrote that the project would proceed if its financial viability were confirmed and if it complied with South Korean legal procedures.

That statement stopped short of presenting South Korea’s participation as a completed or unconditional commitment.

Instead, it tied the project’s future to both a financial review and the legal process in South Korea.

South Korean Industry Minister Kim Jung-kwan also pushed back against the certainty surrounding the announced figures.

His comments were reported by The Wall Street Journal following Trump’s description of the investment package.

“Putting out figures, or using definitive language, goes far beyond what was agreed,” Kim said.

His statement directly challenged the level of certainty attached to the announced numbers and language.

Trump nevertheless maintained that representatives had been present when the matter was discussed.

He also indicated that South Korea declining to proceed would be acceptable to him, while suggesting that the alternative could involve higher tariffs.

The president’s remarks placed the energy investment and the tariff negotiations in the same conversation.

The trade agreement called for the United States to reduce South Korea’s tariff rate to 15%, while Trump warned that he could “double it up” if an agreement was not signed shortly.

For now, Trump has publicly attached a $54 billion figure to South Korea’s potential investment in the Alaska project.

South Korean officials have described the project as dependent on financial viability, legal procedures and further agreement over the figures being presented.

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