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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Russian President Vladimir Putin has said that he thinks there is a chance of a peace being reached with Ukraine. He told the Eastern Economic Forum in Vladivostok, Russia that he believed there was "a chance of finding a solution," to the conflict.
The Iranian Health Ministry said at least 18 people were killed and 142 others injured in U.S. airstrikes carried out between 30 August and 2 September.
U.S. negotiators Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner will visit Russia then Ukraine over the weekend, Russian state news agency TASS has reported, citing an unnamed source. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has also said American envoys will visit the capitals of both countries.
Start your day informed with the AnewZ Morning Brief. Here are the top stories for the 3rd of September, covering the latest developments.
The Iranian Army has again struck at U.S. bases in Kuwait and the United Arab Emirates in retaliation for U.S. attacks on southern and western parts of Iran late on Tuesday, which reportedly killed 18 people and injured more than 100 others.
The resolution, sponsored by African countries and led by Togo, passed by 164 votes to one, with six abstentions. The United States was the only country to vote against it.
U.S. negotiators Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner will visit Russia then Ukraine over the weekend, Russian state news agency TASS has reported, citing an unnamed source. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has also said American envoys will visit the capitals of both countries.
Southern Chinese provinces were bracing for more torrential rain on Friday after Typhoon Saudel triggered severe flooding, swamping vehicles, collapsing at least one building and forcing mass evacuations.
President Donald Trump is leaving more than a paper trail from his time in office. The U.S. is now minting commemorative $1 coins for America’s 250th anniversary, featuring a portrait of the sitting president.
Pacific Island leaders expressed concern about China's Pacific missile test at their annual summit, though Nauru formally dissented, in a meeting largely overshadowed by Beijing's objections to Taiwan's presence.
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