Trump is pushing South Korea on Alaska LNG. Here’s what we know so far

Trump is pushing South Korea to get on board with a major gas project in Alaska, but South Korea is holding back. So what exactly is Alaska LG and why is South Korea hesitant? Trump has linked the project to South Korea's planned energy and infrastructure investments in the US. The project would bring natural gas from northern Alaska to its southern coast through a roughly 800 mile pipeline before shipping the gas overseas. The price tag around $50 billion. But Alaska does have one big advantage, its location. It's much closer to South Korea with shipping potentially taking just 7 to 9 days compared with around 20 to 30 days from the US Gulf Coast. But faster shipping doesn't necessarily mean cheaper gas. That's because the long pipeline needed to move the gas across Alaska could make the project significantly more expensive. And that's where South Korea has reservations. President Liyong says the country would only participate if the project is commercially viable and legally compliant. This brings up another question. Will South Korea even need as much gas in the future? With demand potentially falling, Korean buyers may be more hesitant to lock themselves into long-term contract. So, for now, South Korea's role in Alaska LNG remains up in the air, even as Trump continues to push for a deal.