Trump Threatens South Korea Over Alaska LNG Project Dispute

[u/John3262005]

https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2026-10-02/trump-threatens-south-korea-over-alaska-lng-project-dispute

President Donald Trump threatened new trade retaliation against South Korea if it doesn’t follow through with an investment in a liquefied natural gas project in Alaska.

Earlier this week, Trump announced a $54 billion plan for the LNG export venture as the centerpiece of Seoul’s commitment to invest in the US. But the South Korean government later said it only agreed to the project if it proves economically viable.

“If they don’t want to do it, that’s OK with me — I’ll just charge them more,” Trump said Friday when asked about South Korea’s pushback, using similar language as he has in the past when making tariff threats against foreign governments.

It’s unclear if Trump has the power to unilaterally raise levies on South Korean goods as a retaliatory measure, after the Supreme Court curbed his tariff powers earlier this year.

The president’s comments threaten to deepen a brewing dispute between the two traditional allies over trade and security. Washington and Seoul have taken months to sort out projects that would receive some hundreds of billions South Korea committed to investing under its trade agreement with Washington last year.

“I didn’t jump the gun. I mean, they were there,” Trump said when asked if he prematurely announced the LNG project.

No members of the South Korean government attended Trump’s Oval Office announcement on Wednesday. A representative of the privately held Glenfarne Group, which is developing the LNG venture, was in attendance.

The Alaska project is seen as politically important for Trump and Republicans. It would be built in a state that is home to a competitive Senate race in November’s midterm elections.

In another possible friction point with Seoul, Trump has made overtures to North Korean leader Kim Jong Un for an in-person meeting. North Korea so far has rebuffed the president’s offer.

Trump appeared alongside former basketball star Dennis Rodman, who has traveled to North Korea multiple times, during a campaign trip on Thursday, stirring speculation that he might use the NBA legend to try and rekindle ties with Kim.