The first step in Korea's planned $350 billion investment in the United States appears to be a gas project in Texas, as Seoul considers building eight nuclear reactors and taking part in a liquefied natural gas (LNG) pipeline project in Alaska, despite questions remaining about its feasibility. As Washington has been increasingly critical of Seoul for allegedly dragging its feet on the pledged investment, the progress the two sides have made should give momentum to the investment and further cooperation between the two allies. The $350 billion investment was agreed to last October with the United States, as part of an agreement that kept Korea's flat tariff at 15 percent instead of the threatened hike to 25 percent. By investing in gas and nuclear power plants, Korea's investment blueprint will help meet U.S. demands for electricity in the artificial intelligence era while providing a platform for Korean nuclear power plant-related technology to advance further into global markets. The Texas gas project is estimated at $22.3 billion, while plans for the eight nuclear reactors and the Al