U.S. Ambassador Steel Says, "We're Rolling Up Our Sleeves" to Implement U.S.-Korea Investment Deal; Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA) Says Alaska Investment Undecided

[Financial News] Michelle Park Steel, U.S. Ambassador to South Korea, said on the 1st that she would work together to implement the investment agreement between South Korea and the United States. Steel briefly outlined her thoughts and plans in Korean and English on her social media account on X that day.
U.S. President Donald Trump made a surprise announcement that day through a White House briefing and social media, saying South Korea had agreed to begin a total of $200 billion in new energy investments in the United States, equivalent to approximately 280 trillion won.
Regarding the announcement, Steel said, "The historic U.S.-Korea investment agreement announced by President Trump clearly demonstrates what a true economic partnership looks like." She added, "The U.S. Embassy in the Republic of Korea has also worked closely with officials in Washington, D.C. and Seoul to bring this agreement to fruition." Steel further wrote, "Full-scale implementation now begins," adding, "We will roll up our sleeves and work together."
The $200 billion cited by President Trump represents the strategic investment amount for the energy and infrastructure sectors, excluding shipbuilding, which accounts for $150 billion, from the total $350 billion investment package South Korea pledged under last year's U.S.-Korea trade agreement. The U.S. side specified that the funds would be used to pursue projects including the construction of eight nuclear power plants in the United States ($120 billion), the Alaska LNG Project ($50 billion), and a Texas gas-fired power plant ($22 billion).
However, the South Korean government considers only the Texas gas-fired combined-cycle power plant to be a confirmed project. It maintains that the Alaska LNG Project and nuclear power plant construction require further detailed review.
A MOFA official drew a line under the matter that day, saying, "The Alaska LNG Project and other projects are still only under review, and neither the decision to invest nor the investment amount has been determined."
[email protected] Kim Kyung-soo Reporter