President Trump reiterated that South Korea and Japan would participate in Alaska’s LNG project and build a pipeline. He emphasized that he had provided major support for Alaska as a policy achievement of his own.
At the White House, US President Donald Trump told reporters that South Korea and Japan were expected to participate in an LNG project in northern Alaska and build a gas pipeline of approximately 1,300 kilometers from the North Slope to Nikiski in the south. He characterized the pipeline’s construction as “all thanks to me” and expressed the view that it would create new business opportunities for the countries involved to transport fuel and oil.
He also indicated that the viability of the Alaska LNG project would be enhanced if South Korea and Japan provided funding on the scale of several billion dollars as part of their investment plans in the United States. In this context, he cited South Korea’s pledge of approximately $350 billion and Japan’s pledge of approximately $550 billion in investment in the United States.
The Trump administration has previously asked South Korea and Japan not only to purchase LNG but also to invest in the project. The project’s substantial long-term funding requirements and costs have been identified as challenges to its realization. The president also linked the project to the investment plans for the United States presented in January, again signaling his intention to encourage investment by the countries involved.