Seoul, April 18
A senior US energy official on Friday underscored South Korea's growing significance in the Donald Trump administration's push to expand American energy exports and diversify global supply chains.
Speaking via video remarks at an energy forum hosted by the American Chamber of Commerce in Korea (AMCHAM) held in Seoul, Tommy Joyce, acting assistant secretary for international affairs at the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE), said Seoul remains a critical ally in Washington's energy agenda, reports news agency.
"South Korea and each of you in Seoul are absolutely essential allies in this pursuit," Joyce said in his remarks addressed to business representatives at a Seoul hotel. "South Korea plays an important role in unleashing American energy and supporting President Trump's vision of building supply chains independent of China."
His comments come as discussions continue over South Korea's potential participation in an envisioned liquefied natural gas (LNG) infrastructure project in Alaska.
Recently highlighted by Trump, the project aims to develop a pipeline from the gas-rich North Slope to southern Alaska, where natural gas would be liquefied and exported, primarily to Asia.