Korea on Thursday stressed that it retains discretion in deciding whether to invest in the Alaska liquefied natural gas (LNG) and nuclear reactor projects in the U.S., refuting the U.S. side's announcement that implied the two countries confirmed proceeding with the projects. Industry Minister Kim Jung-kwan said he lodged a protest with U.S. Secretary of Commerce Howard Lutnick over "the announcement that went far beyond what was agreed." This came after U.S. President Donald Trump presented the Alaska LNG project and plans for eight nuclear reactors alongside a $22.3 billion Texas combined-cycle gas power plant as part of Korea's $200 billion strategic investment package during an announcement at the White House in Washington on Wednesday (local time). “Thanks to the agreements my administration has secured with the Republic of Korea, they will invest up to $200 billion. That's the Korean government, $200 billion to build a six-gigawatt power generation facility in Texas … Eight new large-scale nuclear power plants, and at long last, the Alaska liquefied natural gas pipeline,” Tr