U.S. Vice President: "We Will See Alaska LNG Through... Cooperation With Japan Also Possible"

Reaffirms resolve to advance Alaska project
Sullivan claims, "Funding has been secured"

U.S. Vice President J.D. Vance cited South Korea’s “political dynamics” as a source of uncertainty surrounding the Alaska liquefied natural gas (LNG) development project. He also indicated he was determined to move the project forward, even if that meant working with other countries such as Japan.

U.S. Vice President J.D. Vance. Yonhap News Agency

According to Alaska News on October 7 (local time), Vance mentioned South Korea’s domestic political situation in an interview before leaving Alaska on October 6. He said he would make the project happen by working with either South Korea’s current or next administration, or by bringing in other countries such as Japan. However, he did not specify which political circumstances in South Korea he was referring to.

Vance argued that Alaska’s natural gas was competitive in terms of price, quality and reliability of supply. He also cited strong demand and the Trump Administration’s commitment to advancing the project as reasons it could be realized.

Republican Senator Dan Sullivan, who joined the interview, also claimed that funding had been secured. However, he said discussions were ongoing about the negotiations and the project’s structure. He cited the federal government’s central role in advancing the project as a difference from past efforts.

Challenges remain locally. Developers say the project would be difficult to pursue under the current property tax structure, while Sullivan said tax issues could be addressed later. Alaska state legislators have criticized the investment announcement for lacking specifics and said the project’s ownership structure is unclear.

On September 30, President Donald Trump announced South Korean investment projects in the United States and put South Korea’s investment in the Alaska LNG project at $54 billion. The South Korean government, however, says neither the decision to invest nor the amount has been finalized. On October 2, Trump pressured South Korea, saying he would impose higher costs if it did not participate.

The remarks came amid efforts to tout Alaska’s energy projects as an achievement ahead of the November midterm elections. On October 5, Vance visited Fairbanks to campaign for Sullivan, who is seeking reelection. In a poll conducted by The New York Times from September 24 to October 1, Democratic candidate Mary Peltola led Sullivan by 7 percentage points.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.