South Korea has released a new assessment regarding North Korea’s nuclear arsenal. According to Seoul, Pyongyang may possess 80-120 nuclear warheads.
This figure is significantly higher than the figure announced by US President Donald Trump. Trump stated that North Korea has 57 nuclear weapons.
South Korea’s Defense Minister Ahn Gyu-back explained that the 80-120 figure is based on estimates from private research organizations. According to him, the South Korean military cannot independently confirm the exact number of North Korea’s nuclear warheads.
Seoul also stated that it does not officially recognize North Korea as a nuclear state. South Korea continues to rely on US nuclear deterrence capabilities in security matters.
Various estimates exist in open sources regarding North Korea’s nuclear arsenal. For example, according to the 2026 estimate by the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI), North Korea has approximately 60 ready nuclear warheads and is believed to have enough material for at least 90 warheads.
These varying figures demonstrate the difficulty of determining the exact size of North Korea’s actual nuclear arsenal.
Seoul’s new assessment comes at a time when the US and South Korea are reviving diplomatic contacts regarding North Korea. Trump recently expressed a desire to meet with Kim Jong Un.
Source: jpost.com
