South Korea estimates North Korea has up to 120 nuclear warheads, far above Trump's figure
Defence Minister Ahn Gyu-back told lawmakers that North Korea was generally believed to have around 80 to 120 warheads, after US President Donald Trump commented a day earlier that Pyongyang possessed 57 "very powerful nuclear weapons".
South Korea estimates North Korea has between 80 and 120 nuclear warheads, significantly higher than the 57 warheads claimed by US President Donald Trump. Defence Minister Ahn Gyu-back told lawmakers that North Korea generally has around 80 to 120 warheads, but it is difficult to determine an exact figure. He clarified that the estimate comes from private research organisations and South Korea's military cannot officially confirm the numbers.
Ahn reiterated that South Korea cannot officially acknowledge North Korea as a nuclear-armed state and declined to comment on whether Trump's 57-warhead claim amounted to US recognition of North Korea's nuclear status. Despite the disagreement, South Korea remains reliant on the US nuclear umbrella, per its non-nuclear policy.
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