What projects are being discussed under South Korea's planned US investment commitment?

Rep. Yoon Hu-duk said media reports had already identified a gas project in Texas, the construction of eight nuclear reactors, and an Alaskan liquefied natural gas scheme. He also said a fourth project involved reprocessing about 4,000 tons of nuclear material, and a fifth concerned carbon capture.

Korean lawmaker says Trump due to announce US investment details on Friday

Q: Why did the finance minister nominee refuse to give details about the US investment talks?

Lee Hyoung-il said the matter was still under consultation and that he would comment once discussions had concluded. He also said he could not disclose details of bilateral talks.

Q: What did South Korea and the United States agree to in their trade deal last year?

The deal set Korea's commitment at $350 billion in U.S. investments in return for Washington capping tariffs on Korean imports at 15 percent. Of that total, $150 billion was earmarked for shipbuilding.

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Summary

A Korean lawmaker said Tuesday that U.S. President Donald Trump was due to announce details of Seoul's planned investment in the United States on Friday. Rep. Yoon Hu-duk raised possible project areas under the proposed $350 billion commitment, while finance minister nominee Lee Hyoung-il said the talks were still under consultation. Industry Minister Kim Jung-kwan said Sunday the two sides were close to agreement, but several issues remained unresolved.

Key Facts

Yoon Hu-duk said Trump was due to announce South Korea's investment in the U.S. on the 18th.
Yoon said reported projects included a gas project in Texas, eight nuclear reactors, an Alaskan liquefied natural gas scheme, carbon capture, and a possible reprocessing request for about 4,000 tons of nuclear material.
Lee Hyoung-il said the government intended to keep within Seoul's agreed $200 billion investment ceiling.
Trump and President Lee Jae Myung reached a trade deal last October under which Korea committed $350 billion in investments to U.S. manufacturing and Washington capped tariffs on Korean imports at 15 percent.

By Reuters

Published Sep 16, 2026 12:43 am KST
Updated Sep 16, 2026 1:24 am KST

Containers are waiting to be shipped at a port in Pyeongtaek, Gyeonggi Province, Nov. 14, 2025. Yonhap

A Korean lawmaker said on Tuesday, while questioning the country's finance minister nominee, that U.S. President Donald Trump was due to announce details of Seoul's planned investment in the United States on Friday.

Rep. Yoon Hu-duk, a lawmaker from the ruling Democratic Party of Korea (DPK), made the assertion during the hours-long questioning of Lee Hyoung-il, in which he also asked about details of projects being discussed under Seoul's proposed $350 billion U.S. investment commitment.

"Trump is due to announce South Korea's investment in the U.S. on the 18th," said Yoon.

Lee, nominee for the next finance minister, replied that the matter was still under consultation and that he would comment once discussions had concluded.

Yoon also said during the hearing that projects already reported in the media included a gas project in Texas, the construction of eight nuclear reactors and an Alaskan liquefied natural gas scheme.

A fourth project appeared to involve the U.S. seeking the reprocessing of roughly 4,000 tons of nuclear material, and a fifth concerned carbon capture, he said. Lee responded by saying that he could not disclose details of bilateral talks.

Yoon did not say how he had obtained the information. Korea has not confirmed any details about the negotiations, but a source with direct knowledge said the industry ministry briefed DPK lawmakers last week. Local media have also reported the scope of some of the projects.

Industry Minister Kim Jung-kwan said on Sunday the two sides were close to an agreement on many issues, but cautioned that several matters remained unresolved.

Asked about Yoon's comments, the lawmaker's office said that the government had not confirmed the details he had raised so the office could not verify them.

Korea's industry ministry declined to comment. The U.S. embassy in Seoul and the White House did not immediately respond to requests for comment.

Trump and President Lee Jae Myung reached a trade deal last October under which Korea committed $350 billion of investments to U.S. manufacturing in return for Washington capping tariffs on Korean imports at 15 percent. Of that, $150 billion was earmarked for shipbuilding.

Implementation of the investments have since seen delays, prompting Trump to threaten Korea with higher tariffs earlier this year.

Finance Minister nominee Lee was also asked whether the scale of the various projects might exceed Seoul's agreed $200 billion investment ceiling. He said that the government intended to keep within that limit and was negotiating accordingly.

Rep. Bae June-young of the main opposition People Power Party said during the same hearing that legislative committees were expected to be briefed on Thursday about the planned U.S. investments.

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