U.S. Demands South Korea Submit Over $350 Billion Investment Package as Trade Negotiations Enter Final Stage
nashnova research
Washington has asked Seoul to submit investment projects whose combined value exceeds the $350 billion ceiling agreed in their bilateral trade deal; South Korea is now in last-stage talks to bring the total back within the cap, with a memorandum possible as early as September 18.
What exactly is the U.S. asking for?
Washington wants Seoul to include three large projects: the Encinal gas-fired power plant in Texas, eight large nuclear reactors, and an Alaska LNG project.
Together the three exceed the $350 billion cap the two sides had previously agreed on.
This means → the U.S. is pushing beyond the settled framework, and Seoul's problem is not whether to invest but how much it can commit without blowing the ceiling.
How is South Korea responding?
Seoul is weighing two paths: drop one of the three projects and keep two, or trim the dollar amount on each so all three fit inside the cap.
In plain terms = either do fewer things or spend less on each — both paths force Korean companies to redraw their U.S. energy and nuclear investment plans.
The window is extremely tight: the government briefs parliament on September 17; the memorandum could be signed as early as September 18.
Why does this matter?
This reflects Washington using investment commitments as leverage in trade talks, pushing demands beyond the agreed framework.
For Korean companies, the final project mix determines which energy and nuclear investments go ahead and which are shelved.
For the market, the 48 hours before September 18 are critical — the outcome will shape capital flows into Korean-backed U.S. energy infrastructure.
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