(LEAD) Trump threatens to 'charge' S. Korea 'more' if it rejects Alaska LNG project

President Donald Trump warned South Korea on Friday that he would impose additional charges if the nation declines to invest in an Alaska liquefied natural gas (LNG) project. The threat came during a press briefing at the White House, following Trump's unveiling of a list of U.S. investment projects under a bilateral trade agreement.

Two of the projects include a gas-fired power plant in Texas and eight nuclear power plants. The South Korean government has not yet decided whether to participate in the LNG project in Alaska. Trump acknowledged that South Korea's representatives were present but emphasized that they had not signed the agreement. He stated that if Seoul does not commit, he would "just charge them more."

It remains uncertain what the specific charge would be if South Korea fails to invest in the Alaska project. U.S. Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick mentioned that South Korea plans to invest over $50 billion in the project, which involves constructing a 1,298-kilometer pipeline from Alaska to transport cooled natural gas to Asia.