What Trump said and the leverage he claims
Trump linked South Korea's broader investment pledge to a specific Alaska LNG build and hinted tariffs could be the pressure point. Earlier this year, the Supreme Court trimmed his latitude on tariffs, making it unclear if he could unilaterally add duties on South Korean goods as payback.
The project, the politics, and who was in the room
Seoul later clarified it is on board only if the economics hold up. Asked if he jumped the gun by announcing the project, Trump replied, "I didn't jump the gun. I mean, they were there." While no South Korean government officials showed up at Wednesday's Oval Office event, an attendee did come from Glenfarne Group, the company behind the LNG project. The Alaska project also carries political implications for Trump and the GOP, as its location is a state confronting a tightly contested Senate race in November's midterm elections.
The broader US - South Korea investment tangle
The dispute fits into broader tensions between the two longstanding partners on trade and security matters. For months, Washington and Seoul have been sorting out which projects will draw from the several-hundred-billion-dollar pledge South Korea made under last year's trade agreement with Washington. On a separate track, Trump has reached out to North Korean leader Kim Jong Un to meet in person, an overture Pyongyang has rejected so far. He appeared with former NBA star Dennis Rodman during a Thursday campaign stop, fueling talk he might try to enlist Rodman to revive contact with Kim.
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