President Donald Trump speaks in the Oval Office of the White House in Washington on Wednesday. AP-Yonhap
WASHINGTON — US President Donald Trump threatened Friday to “make” Korea “pay more” if it did not agree to invest in a liquefied natural gas (LNG) project in Alaska, in which he said the Asian country would participate.
Trump made the remarks during a White House press briefing, two days after he unveiled the first set of U.S. investment projects in Korea under last year’s bilateral trade deal, which he said includes the LNG project, construction of a gas-fired power plant in Texas and eight large-scale nuclear power plants.
Regarding the LNG project, Seoul said it has not yet finalized its decision on whether to participate.
“I didn’t jump in. I mean, they were there and they were represented,” he told reporters. “And let’s see, if they don’t want to do it, that’s fine with me. I’ll just charge them more.”
After asking a reporter, “They said they didn’t sign it?” “, Trump replied: “Tell them if they don’t sign soon, I’m going to double the amount. »
It is still unclear what exactly it will “charge” Korea if Seoul does not agree to invest in the Alaska project.
US Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick said Korea would invest more than $50 billion in the Alaska project.
The LNG project involves building a 1,298-kilometer-long pipeline from the North Slope, which has huge proven natural gas reserves, to southern Alaska to transport natural gas that will be cooled into liquid form for shipment to Asia.
Gn bussni
