South Korean lawmakers revealed that Trump is preparing to announce details of Seoul's investment in the United States on September 18th, under a $3.5 billion deal in exchange for limiting import tariffs on South Korean goods to 15%.
On September 15, 2026, at 4:32 PM, Reuters reported that South Korean lawmakers indicated that U.S. President Donald Trump is scheduled to announce details of South Korea's investment plans in the U.S. on Friday (September 18, 2026), amid negotiations between the two countries regarding various projects under a large-scale investment framework pledged by Seoul.
Yoon Hu-dok, a member of the ruling Democratic Party (DP) in the National Assembly, revealed this during a hearing with Lee Hyung-il, the nominee for Minister of Finance, stating, "Trump is scheduled to announce South Korean investment in the United States on September 18."
However, Lee Hyung-il stated that the matter is still under discussion and details will be available after the negotiations are complete.
During the hearing, Yoon also mentioned projects reportedly under discussion between South Korea and the United States, including a gas project in Texas, the construction of eight nuclear reactors, and a liquefied natural gas (LNG) project in Alaska.
Additionally, there are projects related to the U.S. proposal to recycle approximately 4,000 tons of nuclear material, as well as carbon capture projects. However, E declined to disclose details, stating that the content of the negotiations between the two countries could not be revealed.
Yoon did not disclose the source of the information, and the South Korean government has not officially confirmed the details of the projects. However, sources with direct knowledge of the matter indicated that the South Korean Ministry of Industry briefed DP lawmakers last week, while local media have also reported details of some of the projects.
South Korean Industry Minister Kim Jong-kwan stated on Sunday that the two sides were close to reaching an agreement on several issues, but some matters remained unresolved. Meanwhile, Yoon's office stated that because the government had not yet confirmed the details mentioned by Yoon, they could not verify the accuracy of the information.
Previously, Trump and South Korean President Lee Jae-myung reached a trade agreement last October, in which South Korea pledged to invest a total of $3.5 billion in U.S. manufacturing in exchange for Washington limiting import tariffs on South Korean goods to 15%.
Of that amount, $1.5 billion was allocated specifically for the shipbuilding industry. However, implementation of the trade agreement has faced delays since then, leading Trump to threaten to impose tariffs on South Korean imports earlier this year.
During the investigation, Lee was asked whether the total value of the projects might exceed the $2 billion investment ceiling that Seoul had agreed upon. He affirmed that the government intended to keep the amount within that ceiling and was negotiating on that basis.
Meanwhile , Bae Joon-young, a member of parliament from the opposition party, stated that the parliamentary committee is expected to receive a briefing on the investment plan in the United States on Thursday, before the date on which Trump may officially announce the details.
Reference: www.reuters.com
Read news related to All Asian economic situations can be found here.
