Trump says he will meet Kim Jong Un this year, South Korea estimates 80-120 North Korean nuclear warheads

President Donald Trump announced on August 19 that he expects to meet with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un later this year, marking a potential revival of high-level diplomatic engagement that has been inactive since 2019. The disclosure, made to reporters at the White House, represents the first potential summit of Trump's second term with the leader of the nuclear-armed state. No date or location for the proposed meeting has been set.

Trump confirmed the plans after being asked by reporters, stating, "Yeah, I will be." He emphasized his personal rapport with Kim as a key diplomatic asset, contrasting his relationship with Kim to those of his predecessors. In a significant disclosure, Trump stated that Kim possesses "57 very powerful nuclear weapons," placing a surprisingly precise figure on North Korea's arsenal. This number aligns with some recent independent estimates, though it drew immediate scrutiny.

A day later, on August 20, South Korea's Defense Minister Ahn Gyuback revealed a substantially higher estimate during a parliamentary committee meeting in Seoul. Ahn stated that South Korea estimates North Korea possesses between 80 and 120 nuclear warheads, noting the...