Trump Says North Korea Has “57 Nuclear Weapons.” Is a New Nuclear Deal With Kim Jong Un Coming?
U.S. President Donald Trump has suddenly put North Korea back at the center of global attention. Speaking to reporters on August 19, Trump said he plans to meet North Korean leader Kim Jong Un later this year. But one part of his remarks was particularly striking. Trump said North Korea possesses “57 very powerful nuclear weapons.” The exact size of North Korea’s nuclear arsenal remains uncertain, and the U.S. government does not publicly provide an official warhead count. But Trump’s unusually specific number immediately raised a bigger question: Is Washington preparing for another attempt at nuclear diplomacy with Pyongyang? And if it is, could the next negotiation look very different from the failed denuclearization talks of 2018 and 2019? For South Korea, the answer could have major security consequences. AI generated image Why Trump’s “57 Nuclear Weapons” Remark Matters North Korea has possessed nuclear weapons for years. What makes Trump’s latest statement unusual is the spe...