Standing in the Oval Office on Sept. 30 beside Senator Dan Sullivan, an Alaska Republican in a close reelection race, President Donald Trump announced that South Korea would invest about $54 billion in the long-delayed Alaska liquefied natural gas project.

The joint announcement released the same day said only that the two sides would begin work on the project if it proved commercially sound and lawful in both countries, and it named no figure.

Industry Minister Kim Jung-kwan told reportersthe next day that he had lodged a strong objection with Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick, adding that Washington appeared to