WASHINGTON — U.S. Vice President JD Vance said some details of the Alaska liquefied natural gas project still need to be worked out with South Korea.
Speaking to reporters on the 5th at Joint Base Andrews in Maryland before departing for Alaska, Vance was asked whether the Alaska project would proceed even though South Korea has denied that its investment is finalized. "Obviously there are still some details that have to be worked out, and the Koreans have mentioned that as well," he said.
The remarks are seen as striking a different tone from recent comments by President Donald Trump. Trump has said South Korea agreed to invest more than $50 billion in the Alaska LNG project as part of its investment package in the U.S., and he has pressed Seoul by saying it would be billed for additional costs if it fails to follow through. Still, officials within the Trump administration appear to recognize that South Korea has not fully signed on to the Alaska project.
Vance said the U.S., South Korea, Japan and Southeast Asian countries all want the project to succeed. "So I think this project is going to happen," he said. He also stressed that "demand for American natural gas is really strong, so I think we can get this done."
Vance left for Alaska to campaign for Sen. Dan Sullivan, the Republican running for the state's U.S. Senate seat in the midterm elections. Alaska has been a Republican stronghold for decades, but candidates from both parties are locked in a close race amid high fuel prices and inflation.
