US President Donald Trump speaks to reporters outside the White House on Aug. 19, 2026. (UPI/Yonhap)
US President Donald Trump said Wednesday he expects to meet North Korean leader Kim Jong-un within the year, while saying that Pyongyang has 57 nuclear weapons. This apparent acknowledgment of North Korea’s possession of nuclear weapons is fueling speculation over whether the two leaders could hold a summit without denuclearization on the agenda as soon as November. When reporters at the White House on Wednesday asked whether he expected to meet Kim later this year, Trump replied, “Yeah, I will be,” while noting that the North Korean leader possesses 57 “very powerful nuclear weapons.” Asked later that day if his goal to reengage with Kim was to pursue denuclearization, Trump declined to answer, saying, “I don’t want to talk about that.” Trump has continued to enthusiastically signal his desire to restart dialogue with Pyongyang, following his Monday announcement on Truth Social ordering a reduction of US-South Korea joint military exercises. However, Trump’s remarks could carry significant implications, as his acknowledgment that North Korea possesses 57 nuclear weapons may be seen as implicitly recognizing its status as a nuclear-armed state. Until now, the Korean and US governments have maintained a principle of not acknowledging North Korea as a nuclear-weapon state, thereby refraining from specifically mentioning the status of North Korea’s nuclear arsenal. When South Korean Defense Minister Ahn Gyu-back told a parliamentary National Defense Committee meeting on Thursday that North Korea is “estimated to have around 80 to 120 nuclear weapons,” he quickly clarified that the figures were estimates made by private research institutions. Trump’s comments came as Kim has remained steadfast in rejecting any negotiations centered on denuclearization. Chang Yong-seok, a visiting researcher at the Institute of Peace and Unification Studies at Seoul National University, interpreted this as Trump’s attempt to send a message to Kim.“He’s essentially saying, ‘We’ll start by acknowledging that you possess a great deal of nuclear weapons, so let’s arrange a meeting,’” Chang said. Lee Byong-chul, a professor at the Institute for Far Eastern Studies at Kyungnam University, suggested that Trump may be dangling the possibility of nuclear recognition to bring North Korea back to negotiations.“Trump has gone one step further than referring to North Korea as a ‘nuclear power,’ and is now throwing out the bait that the US could recognize North Korea’s nuclear status if it comes to the negotiating table,” the professor said. Some speculate that Trump, whose approval ratings have fallen to the 30% range ahead of November’s midterm elections, might revise US policy on North Korea’s denuclearization to prioritize disarmament and non-proliferation while recognizing its possession of nuclear weapons. Doing so may trigger a nuclear domino effect in Northeast Asia.
