United States President Donald Trump is expected to announce $200bn in investments from South Korea, $54bn of which is slated to go to a liquefied natural gas (LNG) project in Alaska.
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54bn → expect → Alaska
The announcement, anticipated to be made from the White House on Wednesday, comes as Trump seeks to defend the Republican Party’s economic record during a heated midterm election season.
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Trump → anticipate → season
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Putin → say → army
“Today, President Trump will announce major energy infrastructure investments that deliver on his day one promises to unleash American energy, unlock Alaska’s extraordinary resource potential, and accelerate America’s nuclear energy renaissance,” White House spokeswoman Taylor Rogers said.
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Rogers → announce → renaissance
In a social media post, Rogers touted the $54bn LNG project as a “long-stalled venture” that has been “championed” by Republican Dan Sullivan, who is seeking to defend his Senate seat in the November 3 election.
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who → tout → election
Alaska is one of several Republican-leaning states that Democrats perceive as vulnerable in the midterms.
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Democrats → lean → midterms
Democrats are seeking to flip both chambers of Congress in November.
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Democrats → seek → November
But with only 35 seats up for grabs in the 100-member Senate, each Senate race will be critical in determining party control.
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race → determine → control
Billions in South Korean investments
The newly announced investments stem from a $350bn trade and investment deal the US signed with South Korea last November.
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US → announce → Korea
As part of the deal, the US agreed to lower its tariffs on South Korean cars, auto parts and other products.
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US → agree → cars
In return, South Korea committed to invest $150bn in US shipbuilding and $200bn in other strategic sectors.
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Korea → commit → sectors
The Alaska investment project consists of a 1,300km (807-mile) natural gas pipeline connecting the North Slope region — an oil-rich tundra bordering the Arctic Ocean — to an export terminal in the southern part of the state, according to the White House.
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project → consist → House
Wednesday’s event will also include announcements about South Korean investments in nuclear power plants and a 6-gigawatt power generation facility in Texas, another state with a vulnerable Senate race.
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event → include → race
There, Democratic Senate hopeful James Talarico is seeking to become the first Democrat to win statewide office in Texas since 1994, as he competes against Republican Ken Paxton for an open seat.
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he → seek → seat
South Korea’s Ministry of Trade, Industry and Resources said last week that the state’s gas-fired power plant — slated to be built in the southwestern town of Encinal, Texas — was the first project it selected under its $200bn strategic investment programme.
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it → say → programme
Since taking office for a second term in 2025, Trump has sought to unveil new trade deals with a range of international partners, accusing many of unfair economic practices.
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Trump → take → practices
He has used the threat of US tariffs as leverage in cementing such deals.
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He → use → deals
Last November, as part of the agreement with South Korea, the Trump administration agreed to cut tariffs on certain imports from 25 to 15 percent.
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administration → agree → percent
South Korea has long been a close ally of the US government in the Asia Pacific region, though relations have grown more strained in recent months.
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relations → grow → months
In August, for instance, Trump announced his administration would reduce the number of military exercises it conducts with South Korea, in part citing frustration with the Asian country’s lack of support for the US-Israel war against Iran.
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it → announce → Iran
The shifting relations have coincided with a decline in public approval among South Koreans.
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relations → shift → Koreans
Earlier this year, the Pew Research Center found that, for the first time in two decades, a majority of South Koreans hold an unfavourable view of the US.
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majority → find → US
An estimated 55 percent of South Koreans surveyed said they perceived the North American country negatively.
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they → estimate → country
Certain Republicans, however, have encouraged Trump to maintain close relations with South Korea, as a bulwark against China’s expanding influence in the region.
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Republicans → encourage → region
On Wednesday, ahead of the White House announcement, Congressman John Moolenaar of Michigan issued an open letter calling the alliance between the two countries “indispensable”.
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Moolenaar → issue → countries
He also urged the Trump administration to exercise “heightened vigilance” about warming ties between South Korea and China, and he accused South Korea of “discriminatory treatment of American firms relative to their [China]-linked competitors”.
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he → urge → competitors
“The [US-South Korea] alliance remains indispensable, and my interest is in strengthening it,” Moolenaar wrote.
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Moolenaar → remain → it
“But an alliance is sustained by candor, and allied divergence on important national interests is not a concern to take lightly.”
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divergence → sustain → interests
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