South Korea estimates North Korea has 80-120 nuclear warheads, differing from Trump's figure

South Korea's Defence Minister, Ahn Gyu-back, told lawmakers on Thursday (August 20, 2026) that North Korea is believed to possess between 80 and 120 nuclear warheads, a range considerably higher than U.S. President Donald Trump's recent assertion that Pyongyang has 57 such weapons.

"We usually see it as around 80 to 120, but it is considerably limited to state an exact number," Mr. Ahn said during a parliamentary committee meeting. He later clarified that the figure was derived from estimates by private research organisations, adding that South Korea's military could not officially confirm the numbers.

Asked about Mr. Trump's comment a day earlier that North Korean leader Kim Jong Un possessed 57 "very powerful nuclear weapons," Mr. Ahn said, "the numbers appear somewhat different." Mr. Trump made the remark at the White House on Wednesday (August 19, 2026) while discussing his plans to meet Mr. Kim later this year.

The discrepancy underscores the uncertainty surrounding North Korea's nuclear arsenal. Estimates vary widely among governments and independent analysts, with some putting the number lower and others higher. The exact size of the stockpile is not publicly verifiable, as North Korea does not disclose such information. Various sources over the years have suggested ranges from about 20 to over 100 warheads, depending on assumptions about fissile material production and weapon design.

South Korea has traditionally avoided publicly disclosing detailed estimates of North Korea's nuclear stockpile and does not officially recognise Pyongyang as a nuclear weapons state under its long-standing policy supporting denuclearisation. Mr. Ahn reiterated this position when asked whether the government acknowledged North Korea as a nuclear-armed state. "We cannot officially acknowledge that," he said.

He also declined to comment on whether Mr. Trump's reference to 57 warheads amounted to U.S. recognition of North Korea's nuclear status, saying it would not be appropriate for South Korea's defence minister to comment on the U.S. president's remarks.

Mr. Ahn said South Korea would continue to rely on the U.S. nuclear umbrella, in line with Seoul's longstanding non-nuclear policy. "We cannot develop nuclear weapons. Nor should we accept the deployment of U.S. tactical nuclear weapons," he said. South Korea has pledged for decades not to pursue its own nuclear arsenal and hosts no U.S. tactical nuclear weapons on its soil, a stance that remains central to its defence strategy.

The comments came as Mr. Trump seeks to revive engagement with Mr. Kim after ordering a scale-back of joint U.S.-South Korean military drills, which he described as "hostile" to North Korea. North Korea responded coolly to the move. Kim Yo Jong, the influential sister of the North Korean leader, said the reduced exercises remained provocative and aggressive despite their shortened duration. She dismissed any suggestion that Pyongyang would view the move as a meaningful goodwill gesture and said she was unaware of any recent contacts between Mr. Trump and Mr. Kim, although she described the personal relationship between the leaders as "excellent."

Mr. Trump said at the White House on Wednesday that he expected to meet Mr. Kim later this year, potentially reviving diplomacy that stalled after a series of unprecedented summits in 2018 and 2019 collapsed over disagreements on sanctions relief and North Korea's nuclear weapons programme. The two leaders first met in Singapore in June 2018, followed by summits in Hanoi and the Korean Demilitarised Zone in 2019. Those talks produced broad statements of intent but no concrete agreement on denuclearisation. North Korea later resumed missile tests, and high-level diplomatic contacts have remained limited.

South Korea's latest assessment comes amid ongoing international concern over North Korea's weapons programmes. The United Nations Security Council has imposed multiple sanctions on Pyongyang over its nuclear and ballistic missile activities. North Korea has consistently defended its programme as a necessary deterrent against what it describes as U.S. hostility.