Trump threatens additional tariffs if South Korea does not support Alaska LNG

Washington (ANTARA) - US President Donald Trump, on Friday (2/10), threatened to impose additional tariffs on South Korea if Seoul does not support the Alaska LNG project, as previously announced alongside several US cabinet officials.

“I do not take action rashly. What I mean is, they are there and represented. And we shall see. If they do not want to do it, I have no problem. I will simply charge them more,” Trump said from the White House when asked whether he had spoken too hastily regarding the matter.

On Wednesday, Trump stated that South Korea would invest US$200 billion (approximately Rp3.57 quadrillion) to support the development of major liquefied natural gas (LNG) and nuclear energy projects in the United States, including the Alaska LNG project.

Bloomberg previously reported that Seoul would invest US$54 billion (approximately Rp965 trillion) in the Alaska project as part of a broader investment and commitment worth US$350 billion (Rp6.26 quadrillion) to invest in the United States in 2025.

South Korean Minister of Trade, Industry and Energy, Kim Jung-kwan, on Thursday (1/10), denied the existence of an official agreement regarding Alaska LNG. He stated that both parties had only agreed on three points within a fact sheet.

The Minister emphasised that the figures and definitive statements from Washington exceeded what had actually been discussed.