JD Vance says Alaska’s long-delayed gas pipeline will move ahead, citing Asian demand, despite South Korea warning that its investment remains under review….reports Asian Lite News Desk
US Vice President JD Vance has backed plans for a long-delayed Alaska natural gas project, saying strong demand from Japan and other Asian economies will help drive the pipeline forward despite South Korea insisting that its participation has not yet been finalised.
Vance said the Trump administration “really” wants the project to happen and argued that Asian demand for American natural gas would help resolve outstanding issues with Seoul.
“The pipeline is something that we really want to see happen and a lot of our Asian friends want to see happen as well,” Vance told reporters before boarding Air Force Two for Alaska.
“It’s not just the South Koreans. The Japanese would love to see this pipeline. A lot of the East Asian economies that have suffered from higher natural gas prices would love to see more American gas flowing into their economies.”
The comments came days after President Donald Trump announced a proposed South Korean investment package that included the Alaska LNG project.
Trump said South Korea would invest about $200 billion in US projects, with around $54 billion earmarked for the Alaska natural gas venture. Seoul, however, quickly clarified that no final investment decision had been made.
“It’s not just the South Koreans. The Japanese would love to see this pipeline. A lot of the East Asian economies that have suffered from higher natural gas prices would love to see more American gas flowing into their economies.”
- JD Vance, Vice President
South Korea’s trade ministry said the Alaska project would be considered only if it proved commercially viable and complied with domestic legal procedures. It also said no decision had been made on either the investment or its potential size.
Vance acknowledged that negotiations with South Korea were still incomplete but expressed confidence that an agreement could eventually be reached.
“I think it’s something that’s going to happen,” he said. “Obviously, you still got to work out some of the details.”
He added that strong demand for US gas would ultimately help Washington and Seoul overcome the remaining differences.
The Alaska LNG project is designed to transport natural gas from the North Slope across the state to the southern port of Nikiski, where it could be processed and exported to overseas markets.
The proposed pipeline would stretch roughly 800 miles and form part of a wider infrastructure project involving gas production, transportation and an LNG export facility.
Asian markets are central to the project’s commercial rationale. Japan and South Korea are major LNG consumers and have traditionally relied heavily on imported gas to meet their energy needs.
Vance argued that higher gas prices in parts of East Asia had strengthened the case for increasing supplies from the United States.
South Korean officials have taken a more cautious approach. Finance Minister Lee Hyoung-il said the government would review the project’s commercial viability before making an investment decision.
Industry Minister Kim Jung-kwan similarly said commercial viability was a prerequisite, although he acknowledged the project’s strategic importance at a time of disruption to global energy supplies linked to the conflict in the Middle East.
The disagreement has emerged against the backdrop of a broader US-South Korea trade and investment agreement. Washington has presented the Alaska project as one element of a much larger package of Korean investment in the United States, alongside a gas-fired power plant in Texas and plans involving nuclear power.
Trump has also warned that South Korea could face higher trade costs if it refuses to participate in the Alaska project, adding pressure to the negotiations.
Vance’s remarks struck a more measured tone, emphasising demand and the need to complete negotiations rather than portraying South Korea’s participation as already settled.
Japan seen as potential customer
Vance’s reference to Japan is significant because Tokyo has long been viewed as a potential market for Alaska’s gas.
The proposed project has struggled for years to attract sufficient investment because of its enormous construction costs and questions over whether Alaskan gas can compete with LNG supplied from other parts of the world.
The Trump administration is now seeking to revive the project as part of a broader push to expand US energy exports and strengthen American energy ties with Asia.
Vance said the interest was not limited to Japan and South Korea, pointing to wider demand across East Asia.
“When there’s a demand for this stuff and there really is strong demand for American natural gas, I think we’re going to be able to get it done,” he said.
