North Korea says Trump's scale-back of joint military exercises with South Korea 'changes nothing'

US President Donald Trump announced on August 20 that he plans to meet with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un later this year, aiming to reestablish the rapport he believes they shared during Trump's first term. During a White House tour, Trump stated that North Korea currently possesses 57 "very powerful" nuclear weapons, despite the country's lack of official recognition as a nuclear state by the United States.

This comment aligns with previous assessments from the US government and think tanks, which estimate the arsenal to be between 50 to 60 weapons.

Trump defended his decision to meet Kim amid ongoing tensions with Iran, arguing that the North Korean leader is a well-behaved individual who respects him. He emphasized that he would not have permitted North Korea to develop nuclear weapons had he been president. However, the US defense minister from South Korea estimated that North Korea possesses a stockpile ranging from 80 to 120 nuclear weapons.

South Korea's defense minister dismissed the scaled-back joint military drills with the US as "insulting" to North Korea, while also noting that the drills were reduced at the suggestion of the US. The drills are designed to prepare for a potential attack by North Korea, and Pyongyang has previously expressed outrage over these exercises, considering them as rehearsals for an invasion.

Kim Yo Jong, the sister of the North Korean leader, stated that she is unaware of the reported communication between her brother and Trump, but affirmed that their relationship remains "excellent."