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Industry minister to meet Alaska governor next week to discuss gas pipeline project, sources say

Published: 18 Mar. 2025, 10:05 Updated: 18 Mar. 2025, 13:23

Industry Minister Ahn Duk-geun speaks at a meeting with local steel industry officials in Seoul on March 13. [YONHAP]

Industry Minister Ahn Duk-geun is set to meet with the governor of Alaska next week in Seoul and discuss Seoul's possible participation in the gas pipeline project in the U.S. state, diplomatic sources said Tuesday.

Ahn plans to hold a face-to-face meeting with Alaska Gov. Mike Dunleavy, scheduled to visit Seoul for two days from Monday, according to sources familiar with the matter.

In the planned meeting, the two sides are expected to discuss Seoul's potential investment in the Donald Trump administration's Alaska liquefied natural gas (LNG) project, aimed at building a nearly 1,200-kilometer (745-mile) gas pipeline from Alaska's vast North Slope to its southern port in Nikiski.

Korea has been considering taking part in the project as part of apparent efforts to negotiate on new U.S. tariffs.

Earlier this month, Trump openly welcomed Seoul's potential participation in the project, along with Tokyo.

Japan and Korea are respectively the world's second- and third-largest LNG importers.

Seoul's offer to join the Alaska project came as it is considered a prominent bargaining chip for Korea, which has been facing mounting pressure to sharply reduce its trade surplus with the United States in order to avoid the United States' new "reciprocal" tariffs.

Industry watchers say the project could open new opportunities for the Korean steel, shipbuilding and construction industries as the gas pipeline construction requires advanced technologies, in which Korean companies enjoy a competitive edge.

But since the project could be a burden on Korean companies, the government has said it will closely assess the economic feasibility and the risks of the project before making a decision.

Yonhap