Trump Unveils $200B South Korean Investment Push Across US Energy Projects

• Trump said that the two countries have agreed on a $120 billion nuclear power program to build eight large-scale nuclear reactors in the United States. 
• Trump said that the U.S. and Korea have agreed to work together on a $50 billion Alaska LNG project to unlock new American gas infrastructure.
• He also highlighted a $22 billion investment in a 6.4-gigawatt natural gas-fired power project in Encinal, Texas. 

U.S. President Donald Trump, in a social post on Wednesday, unveiled plans for South ​Korea to invest about $200 billion in U.S. projects. 

In a Truth Social post, the U.S. president said that South Korea’s President Lee Jae Myung had agreed to invest the amount in America under a strategic and trade investment deal agreed upon last year. 

U.S.-South Korea Energy Deal

Trump said that the two countries have agreed on a $120 billion nuclear power program to build eight large-scale nuclear reactors in the United States. 

“Eight new Reactors. American Power. American Construction. American Manufacturing. More Baseload Electricity, and greater Energy Security for our Country,” Trump said in the post. 

Trump also said the U.S. and Korea have agreed to work together on a $50 billion Alaska LNG project to unlock new American gas infrastructure and “deliver transformational change” for the state. 

He also highlighted a $22 billion investment in a 6.4-gigawatt natural gas-fired power project in Encinal, Texas. 

“These are the kinds of Projects that can transform America for Generations — MORE POWER, MORE CONSTRUCTION, MORE MANUFACTURING, MORE ENERGY SECURITY, and major new opportunities for American Workers,” Trump said. 

The President added that the projects will support trillions of dollars of investments in the U.S., including for advanced manufacturing, semiconductors and other industries. 

“We are building that capacity HERE, in THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA, and the Projects announced today will help power us for Generations to come. These Deals are driven by our Trade Deals. REAL INVESTMENT, REAL PROJECTS, REAL CAPACITY, and REAL JOBS in America. AMERICA IS BUILDING AGAIN!”

South Korea Clarifies Investment Criteria 

Shortly after Trump’s post, South Korean President Myung said in a post on X that the $54 billion pipeline for an LNG project in Alaska was subject to commercial considerations.

“Among the U.S. investment projects announced by the United States, the Alaska LNG project will proceed to working level under the preconditions that 1) its commercial viability is confirmed and 2) it complies with the legal procedures of the Republic of Korea,” he said. 

“For nuclear power plants as well, commercial viability must be guaranteed on a specific plant-by-plant basis,” he added. 

XLE, NLR Stock Reactions 

The VanEck Uranium Nuclear Energy ETF (NLR), which tracks global companies involved in uranium mining and nuclear energy, rose about 1% in the overnight session late Wednesday.

Meanwhile, the Energy Select Sector SPDR Fund (XLE) declined about 0.5% overnight. 

Retail sentiment on NLR was ‘neutral’ at the time of writing, while it was ‘extremely bearish’ for XLE. 

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