Vance points to S. Korea's 'political dynamics' amid uncertainty over Alaska LNG project

U.S. Vice President JD Vance cited political dynamics in South Korea amid uncertainty over Seoul’s participation in the proposed Alaska LNG project. Speaking Tuesday while traveling in Alaska, Vance said the United States would pursue the project with South Korea, Japan or other nations. South Korea’s industry ministry said the project remains under review and requires commercial viability before any investment decision.

Vance said the project would proceed whether South Korea’s current or next government participates, or whether the United States works with Japan and other nations.

U.S. President Donald Trump listed the Alaska LNG project, a Texas gas-fired power plant and eight large-scale nuclear power plants among South Korea’s investment projects under a bilateral trade agreement.

South Korean Industry Minister Kim Jung-kwan said the Alaska LNG project previously failed to advance because of low commercial viability but gained strategic value after the war in the Middle East.

Kim said commercial rationality remains a precondition for South Korea’s participation and that Seoul has only begun reviewing the project.

Published Oct 8, 2026 12:55 am KST

U.S. Vice President JD Vance speaks at a campaign rally at Fairbanks International Airport in Fairbanks, Alaska, Monday. Reuters-Yonhap

WASHINGTON — U.S. Vice President JD Vance has pointed to "political dynamics" in South Korea amid uncertainty over Seoul's participation in a proposed liquefied natural gas (LNG) project in Alaska, according to a U.S. media report Wednesday.

"I think you have some political dynamics, frankly, in South Korea, but we're going to get this done, whether the current government or the next government in South Korea, or frankly, whether we have to work with the Japanese and other nations, to get it done," Vance told Alaska's News Source in an interview on Tuesday while traveling the state.

Vance did not elaborate on what he meant by "political dynamics" in South Korea.

"People are desperate for the gas that comes out of the state. It's cheaper, it's higher quality, it's more reliable because it's coming from Alaska as opposed to some tin-pot dictatorship," he said.

U.S. President Donald Trump last week announced South Korea's U.S. investment projects under last year's bilateral trade agreement: the construction of a gas-fired power plant in Texas, eight large-scale nuclear power plants and the LNG project in Alaska.

South Korea's industry ministry, however, said the Alaska LNG project had not yet been finalized, stressing that its commercial viability and other factors would need to be reviewed before any investment decision is made.

Vance also sought to distinguish the Trump administration's push for the long-discussed project from previous efforts to develop the pipeline." It's different because you have a president who delivers on his promises."

On Monday, the U.S. vice president said Seoul and Washington still need to "work out" details of the Alaska project, while expressing confidence that it will ultimately move forward.

South Korean Industry Minister Kim Jung-kwan said Tuesday the Alaska LNG project had previously failed to move forward due to its low commercial viability but has gained new strategic value following the war in the Middle East.

"It is true that the project had not moved forward because its commercial viability was clearly low," Kim said during a parliamentary audit in Seoul. "But it is also clear that it has gained new strategic value in the wake of the war in the Middle East."

Kim reiterated that "commercial rationality" remains a precondition for South Korea's participation and said Seoul is still at the stage of beginning its review of the project.

美国副总统万斯在阿拉斯加访问期间，因韩国的政治局势不明朗，而决定是否参与拟议中的阿拉斯加液化天然气项目。万斯周二表示，美国将与韩国、日本或其他国家合作推进该项目。韩国产业通商资源部则表示，该项目仍在评估中，在做出任何投资决定之前，需要评估其商业可行性。

万斯表示，无论韩国现任或下一届政府是否参与，也无论美国是否与日本和其他国家合作，该项目都将继续进行。

美国总统唐纳德·特朗普将阿拉斯加液化天然气项目、德克萨斯州一座燃气发电厂和八座大型核电站列入了与韩国签署的双边贸易协定中的投资项目。

韩国工业部长金正冠表示，阿拉斯加液化天然气项目此前因商业可行性低而未能推进，但在中东战争后获得了战略价值。

金表示，商业理性仍然是韩国参与该项目的前提条件，首尔方面才刚刚开始审查该项目。

发布于2026年10月8日凌晨12:55（韩国标准时间）

美国副总统万斯周一在阿拉斯加州费尔班克斯国际机场举行的竞选集会上发表讲话。（路透社-韩联社）

华盛顿——据美国媒体周三报道，美国副总统万斯指出，由于首尔参与阿拉斯加拟议的液化天然气（LNG）项目存在不确定性，韩国的“政治动态”是造成这一局面的原因。

“坦白说，我认为韩国存在一些政治因素，但无论韩国现任政府还是下一届政府，或者坦白说，无论我们是否需要与日本和其他国家合作才能完成这件事，我们都会把它完成，”万斯周二在阿拉斯加州旅行期间接受阿拉斯加新闻社采访时表示。

范斯没有详细说明他所说的韩国“政治动态”是什么意思。

他说：“人们非常需要阿拉斯加州生产的天然气。它更便宜、质量更高、更可靠，因为它来自阿拉斯加，而不是来自某些小国独裁政权。”

美国总统唐纳德·特朗普上周宣布了韩国根据去年双边贸易协定在美国的投资项目：在德克萨斯州建设一座燃气发电厂、八座大型核电站以及在阿拉斯加建设液化天然气项目。

然而，韩国产业通商资源部表示，阿拉斯加液化天然气项目尚未最终确定，并强调在做出任何投资决定之前，需要审查其商业可行性和其他因素。

万斯还试图将特朗普政府推动这项讨论已久的项目与以往开发该输油管道的努力区分开来。“不同之处在于，我们现在有一位信守承诺的总统。”

周一，美国副总统表示，首尔和华盛顿仍需“敲定”阿拉斯加项目的细节，但他同时表示相信该项目最终会取得进展。

韩国工业部长金正冠周二表示，阿拉斯加液化天然气项目此前因商业可行性低而未能推进，但在中东战争后获得了新的战略价值。

金在首尔举行的国会听证会上表示：“该项目未能推进的确是因为其商业可行性明显较低。但同样显而易见的是，中东战争之后，该项目获得了新的战略价值。”

金重申，“商业理性”仍然是韩国参与该项目的前提条件，并表示首尔目前仍处于对该项目进行审查的初期阶段。