Trump says he did not 'jump the gun' on S. Korean investment in Alaska

WASHINGTON, Oct. 2 (Yonhap) -- U.S. President Donald Trump said Friday that he did not "jump the gun" when he recently announced a South Korean investment plan for a liquefied natural gas (LNG) project in Alaska.

Trump made the remarks during a press availability, two days after he unveiled the first package of South Korea's U.S. investment projects under last year's bilateral trade deal, including the LNG project.

His announcement suggested apparent differences with Seoul's position that South Korea's participation in the Alaska project has yet to be finalized, while the two countries have largely agreed on two other projects: the construction of a gas-fired power plant in Texas and eight large-scale nuclear power plants.

"I didn't jump the gun. I mean, they were there and they were represented," he told reporters at the White House.

"And let's see, if they don't want to do it, that's okay with me. I'll just charge them more."

U.S. President Donald Trump walks to speak to reporters on the South Lawn of the White House in Washington before boarding Marine One on Oct. 2, 2026, in this photo released by the Associated Press. (Yonhap)