Trump Claims North Korea Has '57 Nukes'; Defense Ministry Cites Differing Estimates

The Ministry of National Defense presented a differing estimate of 80~120 nuclear weapons regarding U.S. President Donald Trump's statement that North Korea possesses '57' nuclear weapons, acknowledging the discrepancy in figures. Minister Ahn's remarks on the 20th were a response to a question from People Power Party Representative Seong Il-jong during the National Assembly National Defense Committee meeting, who asked about the government's own assessment while citing Trump's '57' remark. Quoting evaluations from domestic research institutes, Minister Ahn stated, "We usually estimate it at around 80~120, but stating an exact figure is quite limited." Acknowledging the numerical difference compared to President Trump's statement on the 19th (local time) at the White House that the Chairman holds '57 very powerful nuclear weapons,' Ahn said, "The numbers seem to be somewhat different."

Minister Ahn clarified that the figure was a citation of domestic research institutes' evaluations rather than the government's official assessment. He stated, "It is quite limited to speak in detail here about how our military authorities assess the situation."

North Korea is not immediately responding to the dialogue. In a statement released on the 19th, Kim Yo-jong, the Workers' Party Department Director, criticized the U.S., stating that "America's hostile policy against the North has not changed" while not evaluating the reduction of U.S.-South Korea joint military exercises (UFS) as a meaningful change. However, she emphasized the personal rapport between the two leaders, saying, "We have already stated multiple times that our National Chairman holds personal good memories and feelings toward Trump."