South Korea believes North Korea could have as many as 120 nuclear warheads, a significantly higher estimate than the figure recently given by President Donald Trump as Washington seeks to reopen dialogue with Pyongyang.
Defense Minister Ahn Gyu-back told lawmakers Thursday that assessments from private research organizations put North Korea’s nuclear stockpile at between 80 and 120 warheads. He emphasized, however, that the exact size of the arsenal remains impossible to establish.
The estimate is notably higher than Trump’s claim on Wednesday that North Korean leader Kim Jong Un possesses 57 “very powerful nuclear weapons.”
“The numbers appear somewhat different,” Ahn said when asked about Trump’s figure.
FILE PHOTO: The newly built naval destroyer Kang Kon conducts tests during an assessment of its combat systems, including the test firing of a strategic cruise missile, at an unknown location in North Korea, July 3, 2026, in this picture released July 5, 2026 by North Korea’s official Korean Central News Agency. KCNA via REUTERS ATTENTION EDITORS – THIS IMAGE WAS PROVIDED BY A THIRD PARTY. REUTERS IS UNABLE TO INDEPENDENTLY VERIFY THIS IMAGE. NO THIRD PARTY SALES. SOUTH KOREA OUT. NO COMMERCIAL OR EDITORIAL SALES IN SOUTH KOREA./File Photo
Ahn subsequently stressed that the 80-to-120 range did not represent an official assessment by South Korea’s military. Seoul has traditionally refrained from publicly releasing detailed estimates of North Korea’s nuclear inventory and continues to reject officially recognizing Pyongyang as a nuclear-armed state.
Asked directly whether South Korea now accepted North Korea’s status as a nuclear weapons state, Ahn said it did not.
Seoul rejects calls for its own nuclear arsenal
Despite the size of the North Korean arsenal, Ahn said Seoul would maintain its policy of relying on the U.S. nuclear umbrella rather than developing its own weapons.
“We cannot develop nuclear weapons. Nor should we accept the deployment of U.S. tactical nuclear weapons,” he said.
His comments came as Trump attempts to revive diplomacy with Kim. On Wednesday, Trump said he expected to meet the North Korean leader later this year, raising the possibility of renewed talks after previous negotiations broke down.
The two leaders held unprecedented summits in 2018 and 2019, but those efforts ultimately failed over disagreements about sanctions relief and North Korea’s nuclear program.
Trump has recently ordered a reduction in joint U.S.-South Korean military exercises, which he has characterized as “hostile” toward Pyongyang.
North Korea has shown little enthusiasm for the move. Kim Yo Jong, Kim’s sister and an influential figure in the North Korean leadership, said the exercises remained provocative and aggressive despite being shortened.
FILE PHOTO: A rocket launcher fires a munition during tests, involving an upgraded version of a 240-mm, 24-tube multiple rocket launcher system, tactical ballistic missiles, and a 155-mm self-propelled howitzer, overseen by North Korean leader Kim Jong Un in North Korea, June 25, 2026, in this picture released by North Korea’s official Korean Central News Agency. KCNA via REUTERS ATTENTION EDITORS – THIS IMAGE WAS PROVIDED BY A THIRD PARTY. REUTERS IS UNABLE TO INDEPENDENTLY VERIFY THIS IMAGE. NO THIRD PARTY SALES. SOUTH KOREA OUT. NO COMMERCIAL OR EDITORIAL SALES IN SOUTH KOREA./File Photo
She also rejected the suggestion that reducing the drills represented a significant gesture toward Pyongyang. Kim Yo Jong said she was unaware of any recent contact between Trump and her brother, although she described the relationship between the two leaders as “excellent.”
For Seoul, the nuclear issue remains tied to its broader security relationship with Washington. Ahn said South Korea would continue to depend on the U.S. nuclear umbrella while maintaining its own commitment not to develop nuclear weapons.
