South Korea’s Defense Minister Ahn Gyu-back said Thursday that North Korea is generally estimated to possess 80 to 120 nuclear warheads, a range significantly above President Donald Trump‘s estimate of 57.
Ahn Gyu-back disclosed to lawmakers that North Korea is generally believed to have around 80 to 120 warheads. However, he cautioned that it was challenging to state an exact figure. “We usually see it as around 80 to 120, but it is considerably limited to state an exact number,” Ahn told a parliamentary committee, according to Reuters.
The defence minister later clarified that these figures were derived from estimates by private research organizations, and South Korea’s military could not officially confirm the numbers. When asked about Trump’s recent assertion that North Korea has 57 nuclear weapons, Ahn responded, “The numbers appear somewhat different.”
South Korea has long maintained a policy of pursuing North Korea’s denuclearization and does not formally recognize Pyongyang as a legitimate nuclear-weapon state. Ahn reaffirmed this position, stating, “We cannot officially acknowledge that.”
Ahn reaffirmed South Korea’s non-nuclear policy and its reliance on the U.S. nuclear umbrella.
Trump Signals Fresh Kim Jong Un Talks
This revelation comes amid a series of developments in the relationship between the U.S. and North Korea. Earlier this month, Trump ordered the Pentagon to scale back joint military exercises with South Korea, citing their cost and his relationship with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un.
Trump also claimed that the North Korean leader responded to his request for talks, a move aimed at reducing tensions. On Wednesday, the President even stated that he expects to meet Kim Jong Un later this year. Trump also told reporters that the North Korean leader had 57 “very powerful” nuclear weapons.
However, Kim’s sister Kim Yo Jong disputed Trump’s claim that the leaders had recently communicated, but maintained that the Trump-Kim relationship “is still excellent.”
Disclaimer: This content was partially produced with the help of AI tools and was reviewed and published by Benzinga editors.
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