Washington:U.S. President Donald Trump has issued a warning to South Korea, stating that he will "charge" the country "more" if it does not participate in an Alaska liquefied natural gas (LNG) project. Trump claims that South Korea is expected to invest in the project, which he discussed during a press availability at the White House.

According to Yonhap News Agency, Trump's comments follow the unveiling of the first package of South Korea's U.S. investment projects under last year's bilateral trade agreement. This package includes the Alaska LNG project, the construction of a gas-fired power plant in Texas, and eight large-scale nuclear power plants.

While Trump asserts South Korea's involvement, Seoul has yet to finalize its decision on participating in the LNG project. Trump addressed reporters, saying, "If they don't want to do it, that's okay with me. I'll just charge them more." He further warned that if South Korea does not sign on soon, he might "double" the charges.

The specific repercussions Trump plans to impose remain unclear if South Korea opts out of the investment. U.S. Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick has indicated that South Korea's potential investment in the Alaska project could exceed $50 billion. The project itself involves constructing a 1,298-kilometer pipeline to transport natural gas from the North Slope to southern Alaska, where it will be liquefied for export to Asia.