South Korea estimates North Korea has up to 120 nuclear warheads, far above Trump’s figure
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- Defence Minister Ahn Gyu-back told a parliamentary committee on Aug 20 that North Korea is believed to have 80-120 nuclear warheads, but said South Korea's military 'could not officially confirm' the figure, which he attributed to private research organisations
- Ahn said Trump's Aug 19 claim that Kim possessed 57 'very powerful nuclear weapons' was 'somewhat different' from Seoul's estimate, but declined to say whether Trump's remark amounted to US recognition of North Korea as a nuclear state
- South Korea will continue to rely on the US nuclear umbrella and will not develop its own nuclear weapons or accept the deployment of US tactical nuclear weapons on its territory, Ahn reiterated, reaffirming Seoul's longstanding denuclearisation policy
- Kim Yo Jong dismissed Trump's scale-back of US-South Korea joint military drills as still 'provocative and aggressive' despite their shortened duration, said she was unaware of any recent contacts between Trump and her brother, but called the two leaders' personal relationship 'excellent'
- Trump said on Aug 19 he plans to meet Kim Jong Un later in 2026 to revive diplomacy that collapsed after the 2018-2019 summits fell apart over disagreements on sanctions relief and denuclearisation
Why it matters: The gap between Trump's 57-warhead figure and the 80-120 estimate cited by South Korea's defence minister exposes a factual discrepancy at the core of Trump's push to re-engage Kim, complicating the premise for any revived negotiations. South Korea's insistence on remaining under the US nuclear umbrella while publicly citing a larger stockpile than Trump acknowledges adds quiet pressure to the alliance.
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