[Anchor]

At dawn tomorrow (October 1), U.S. President Donald Trump will directly announce details regarding South Korea's investment projects in the United States. There is a high possibility that President Trump will unilaterally announce an investment in the Alaska LNG project, which had been subject to ongoing negotiations due to a lack of guaranteed profitability.

Reporter Kim Young-a has the details.

[Reporter]

U.S. President Donald Trump is set to announce the selection of U.S. investment projects at 4:30 a.m. tomorrow (October 1), Korea time.

While specific details have not been officially disclosed, Reuters and Bloomberg reported that Trump is expected to reveal that South Korea will invest 54 billion dollars, or approximately 73 trillion won, in the Alaska LNG project.

The Alaska LNG project is a large-scale undertaking to transport natural gas from the North Slope through a pipeline of approximately 1,300 kilometers to southern Alaska for liquefaction.

The plan aims to export LNG long-term to Asian countries such as South Korea, Japan, and Taiwan. However, major energy companies like ExxonMobil pulled out 10 years ago, citing a lack of commercial viability.

During a report to the National Assembly on September 22, the government stated that the construction of the Encinal gas-fired combined cycle power plant in Texas was designated as the first U.S. investment project, while classifying the Alaska LNG project as a task requiring further consultation.

On September 18, President Lee Jae-myung also emphasized commercial rationality, stating, "There are parts that are difficult to agree on, so we are discussing them again."

[President Lee Jae-myung (September 18): We only pursue projects with commercial rationality. The law is structured that way as well. Commercial rationality must be reviewed.]

The government reiterated today that participation in the Alaska LNG project has not been finalized yet, and that a decision on whether to participate will be made after examining its commercial rationality.

However, under the memorandum of understanding signed with the U.S. last year and the Korea-U.S. Strategic Investment Special Act, investment destinations are to be selected by the U.S. president following consultations between the two countries.

Because President Trump has shown strong determination regarding this project, it would be difficult to block him even if he makes a unilateral announcement.

Tomorrow's announcement is reportedly expected to be attended by the Republican senators, representatives, and governor of Alaska. Observers suggest that to support the midterm elections in November, Trump might bypass consultations with South Korea and lock in South Korea's investment in the Alaska LNG project.

(Video Editing: Lee Seung-yeol)