Vice President JD Vance stated that the Alaska-South Korea natural gas project will continue to advance, even though South Korea has said its participation depends on the project being economically viable, and the Trump administration has issued threats of trade retaliation over the matter, according to sources.

Speaking to reporters at Joint Base Andrews on Monday while en route to Alaska, Vance said: "This is going to get done. There are obviously some details that need to be ironed out, and the South Koreans have expressed some views on that." He added: "There is real demand for this kind of energy in the market. Demand for American natural gas is very strong, and I believe we can get this partnership across the finish line."

Trump's tariff warning has intensified friction between the two traditional allies over trade and security. Against this backdrop, the vice president's remarks were intended to keep the investment negotiations moving forward. Under last year's U.S.-South Korea trade agreement, South Korea pledged to invest hundreds of billions of dollars in the United States, and the two sides have spent months identifying viable projects.

Vance said: "This pipeline is a project we very much want to get done, and many of our Asian partner countries are looking forward to seeing it built. It's not just South Korea — Japan is also very bullish on this pipeline."

Last week, Trump unveiled the $54 billion liquefied natural gas export project as a centerpiece of South Korea's investment commitment to the United States. But the South Korean government subsequently said it would only agree to participate if the project is economically feasible. Earlier this year, the Supreme Court limited the president's tariff powers, and it remains uncertain whether Trump has the authority to unilaterally impose tariffs on South Korean goods as a retaliatory measure.