South Korea estimates North Korea possesses between 80 and 120 nuclear warheads, its defence minister said on Thursday, citing a range significantly higher than U.S. President Donald Trump's recent assertion that Pyongyang has 57 nuclear weapons.
Defence Minister Ahn Gyu-back told lawmakers the figure came from private research estimates and could not be officially confirmed by Seoul's military.
"We usually see it as around 80 to 120, but it is considerably limited to state an exact number," Ahn told a parliamentary committee.
Asked about Trump's White House comment that North Korean leader Kim Jong Un had 57 "very powerful nuclear weapons," Ahn said the numbers appeared to be somewhat different.
South Korea has traditionally avoided publicly disclosing detailed estimates of North Korea's nuclear arsenal and does not officially recognise Pyongyang as a nuclear weapons state, in line with its denuclearisation policy.
Ahn reiterated that Seoul could not formally acknowledge North Korea as a nuclear-armed state and said it would be inappropriate for him to interpret whether Trump's figure amounted to U.S. recognition of Pyongyang's nuclear status.
He also said South Korea would continue to rely on the U.S. nuclear umbrella under its longstanding non-nuclear policy, adding that Seoul could neither develop nuclear weapons nor accept the deployment of U.S. tactical nuclear weapons.
The remarks came as Trump seeks to revive engagement with Kim after ordering a scale-back of joint U.S.-South Korean military drills, which he described as hostile to North Korea.
Kim Yo Jong, the influential sister of North Korea's leader, has dismissed the reduced exercises as still provocative and aggressive, while saying she was unaware of any recent Trump-Kim contacts despite describing the leaders' personal relationship as excellent.
Trump said he expected to meet Kim later this year, potentially reviving diplomacy that stalled after summits in 2018 and 2019 collapsed over sanctions relief and North Korea's nuclear programme.
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Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan has arrived in Washington for talks with U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio on bilateral ties and key regional and international developments, Saudi state news agency SPA reported.
The European Union's decision to simultaneously advance accession talks with Ukraine, Moldova, Montenegro and Albania marks its most ambitious enlargement effort in more than two decades.
U.S. President Donald Trump has denied reports that he offered Iran sanctions relief and access to frozen funds in exchange for nuclear concessions.
British Prime Minister Andy Burnham has declared that Brexit has done more harm than good, while reaffirming support for Ukraine and NATO as he used his first Labour conference speech as leader to set out a new direction for Britain.
The arrival in South Korea of two North Korean soldiers captured while fighting for Russia has created a rare legal, diplomatic and humanitarian case, raising questions over their status, security and future.
At midnight on 30 September, the last U.S. troops are due to leave Iraq, ending a military presence that began with the 2003 invasion and cost the lives of around 4,500 American service members.
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Crude oil exports from major Middle Eastern producers rebounded in September to their highest level since the U.S.-Israeli war on Iran began in late February, according to data from analytics firm Kpler.
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