South Korea estimates North Korea has up to 120 nuclear warheads, far above Trump's figure
Ahn said the figure came from private research estimates as Seoul said it could not officially confirm North Korea’s stockpile.
- On Thursday, Defence Minister Ahn Gyu-back told lawmakers that South Korea estimates North Korea possesses 80 to 120 nuclear warheads, a figure significantly higher than President Donald Trump's recent assertion that Pyongyang holds 57 weapons.
- President Trump said on Wednesday he expects to meet North Korean leader Kim Jong Un later this year, seeking to revive diplomacy that stalled after unprecedented summits in 2018 and 2019 collapsed over sanctions relief disagreements.
- Trump seeks to revive engagement after ordering a scale-back of joint US-South Korean military drills, which he described as "hostile." Kim Yo Jong, the North Korean leader's sister, dismissed the reduction as a meaningful gesture, calling exercises "provocative."
- Ahn declined to comment on whether Trump's 57-warhead reference constitutes US recognition of North Korea's nuclear status, stating it would not be appropriate for Seoul's defence minister to comment on the US president's remarks. He said, "We cannot officially acknowledge that."
- South Korea maintains a longstanding non-nuclear policy and relies on the US nuclear umbrella, with the Defence Minister clarifying the military will not develop its own weapons or accept deployment of US tactical nuclear arms on the peninsula.
71 Articles
71 Articles
New North Korean Nuke Count Estimate Differs From Trump's
South Korea put a bigger number on North Korea's nuclear arsenal than President Trump did a day prior. Defense Minister Ahn Gyu-back told lawmakers Thursday that Pyongyang is widely thought to hold 80 to 120 nuclear warheads—above the "57 very powerful nuclear weapons" Trump mentioned on Wednesday at the...
Neither South Korea nor the USA officially recognize North Korea as a nuclear power. However, there is obviously disagreement about how many nuclear weapons the country possesses: South Korea contradicts a statement by Donald Trump.
North Korea has at least 80 nuclear weapons, according to the South Korean government in Seoul. However, South Korea's Defense Minister Ahn Gyu-back does not want to set a precise figure.
In South Korea, it was stated that the DPRK could have up to 120 nuclear warheads, but stressed that it was difficult to determine the exact number.
South Korean Defense Minister opposes data advanced by Trump, but admits that it is "hard to indicate exact number." Statements arise at the time when Washington wants to resume dialogue with Pyongyang.
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