U.S. President Donald Trump announced on Wednesday what he described as a $200 billion investment package by South Korean companies into U.S. energy infrastructure. Following the announcement, South Korean President Lee Jae Myung stated that his country’s participation in specific parts of the plan, including a major liquefied natural gas (LNG) project in Alaska, depends on reviews of their commercial viability and legal requirements.
In a post on the social media platform Truth Social, Trump characterized the plan as “one of the largest energy infrastructure investments in American history.” He stated the investments would lead to “huge construction projects” and create “tens of thousands of American jobs.” Trump specifically mentioned an agreement to work on the Alaska LNG project, which he valued at $50 billion.
President Lee responded in a post on X, the platform formerly known as Twitter, clarifying that South Korea’s involvement in the Alaska LNG project was contingent on its “financial viability and legal compliance.” He added that investments in proposed nuclear power plants would also be subject to assessments of commercial viability for each individual plant.
A joint statement issued by both countries on Wednesday had noted that work on the Alaska project was dependent on “commercial reasonableness,” according to media reports.
The Alaska LNG project, a central component of the announcement, is designed to transport natural gas via a pipeline of approximately 1,300 kilometers from Alaska’s North Slope to a liquefaction facility in the southern part of the state for export, according to South Korea’s Yonhap news agency. The project has previously faced questions regarding its economic feasibility due to high upfront costs. In 2025, South Korean Industry Minister Kim Jung-kwan referred to the project as “high-risk,” stating that participation would be difficult without sufficient projected cash flow.
The broader investment package outlined in the announcement includes several large-scale initiatives. A total of $22.3 billion is designated for a 6,472-megawatt natural gas power facility in Encinal, Texas. That project, led by developer Related Companies and U.S. power company NextEra Energy, is scheduled to begin initial commercial operations in 2029.
Another $120 billion has been allocated for the development of eight large-scale nuclear reactors in the U.S., with $100 billion for construction and $20 billion in contingency funds. The nuclear agreement was signed by officials from both governments as well as representatives from Westinghouse Electric, Korea Electric Power Corp., and Korea Hydro & Nuclear Power. The plan also includes provisions for a potential minority investment in Westinghouse by Korean firms, with terms subject to future commercial negotiations.
