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US-North Korea diplomatic and nuclear tensions

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2026-08-20 08:55 UTC → 2026-08-20 09:38 UTC · added ~~removed~~

U.S. President Donald Trump has announced intentions to meet with North Korean leader Kim Jong-un before the end of 2026, potentially during the APEC summit in Shenzhen, China. This diplomatic approach follows Trump’s order to reduce joint military exercises between the United States and South Korea to avoid sending hostile signals. Discrepancies persist regarding the size of North Korea’s nuclear arsenal. Trump claimed the nation possesses 57 “very powerful” nuclear weapons, a figure supported by reports from the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute suggesting Pyongyang has assembled approximately 60 warheads. However, South Korean Defense Minister Ahn Gyu-back provided a higher estimate of between 80 and 120 warheads during a National Assembly hearing. Ahn noted this higher range is based on evaluations from private research organizations and factors such as plutonium ~~production,~~ production and miniaturization capabilities, rather than official, declassified military intelligence. Despite these estimates, Ahn reaffirmed South Korea’s policy of relying on the U.S. nuclear umbrella and stated the nation will not pursue independent nuclear weapons development or the deployment of U.S. tactical nuclear weapons on the peninsula. Despite Trump’s expressed confidence in his personal relationship with Kim, stating, “I get along very well with him,” North Korean official Kim Yo Jong has stated she has no knowledge of any recent communications between the two leaders. However, Ahn Gyu-back noted that North Korea appears interested in renewed dialogue proposals from the United States.

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