The United States and South Korea unveiled a sweeping set of agreements Monday in Washington, highlighting record-breaking investments, energy cooperation, and major aviation purchases.
South Korean companies pledged $150 billion in new U.S. investments, including a shipbuilding partnership and purchases of American ships. This comes in addition to a July trade deal under which Seoul committed $350 billion in U.S. investments and reduced tariffs on South Korean auto exports.
In aviation, Korean Air announced its largest deal ever: a $49.9 billion package that includes the purchase of 103 aircraft from Boeing worth $36.2 billion, alongside $13.7 billion in engines and maintenance services from GE Aerospace.
President Donald Trump praised the agreements, saying, “We really sort of need each other. We love their products, their ships, and they love what we have.” South Korean President Lee Jae Myung echoed optimism, calling the partnership a “renaissance in shipbuilding and manufacturing.”
Energy also took center stage, with Seoul reaffirming its $100 billion U.S. energy purchase commitment. Trump revealed plans for trilateral cooperation with South Korea and Japan to develop Alaska’s natural gas reserves, though details remain scarce.
The announcements came as Trump expressed openness to meeting North Korean leader Kim Jong Un this year, despite Pyongyang’s fresh criticism of ongoing U.S.-South Korea military drills.