Monday, October 5, 2026

Why Did North Korea's Nuclear Missiles Nearly Double to 112? Trump: "It's Good to Get Along with Kim Jong Un"

Input
2026-10-04 16:07:36
Updated
2026-10-04 16:07:36
U.S. President Donald Trump delivers a speech at a midterm election convention in Ohio on the 3rd (local time). Reuters-Yonhap News
[Financial News] U.S. President Donald Trump disclosed for the first time a specific figure of 112 for North Korea's nuclear missiles and said that it would be good to get along with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un. The figure represents nearly a twofold increase from the 57 missiles Trump cited two months ago, prompting South Korean security authorities to closely monitor the development.
Speaking at a midterm campaign rally in Ohio on the 3rd (local time), President Trump said, "I get along very well with Kim Jong Un," adding, "When he has 112 nuclear missiles, it's good to get along." The country referred to as possessing 112 nuclear missiles was North Korea.
Trump previously said at the White House on August 19, "Kim Jong Un has 57 very powerful nuclear weapons." In other words, the number of North Korean nuclear weapons appears to have risen explosively in just two months.
However, after receiving the latest reports from U.S. intelligence agencies, President Trump may have adjusted the figure from the previous lower bound of 57 to the upper estimate of 112.
Former Defense Minister Ahn Gyu-back also appeared before the National Defense Committee of the National Assembly and said that North Korea possessed between 800 and 120 nuclear weapons. Unification Minister Chung Dong-young introduced an expert estimate last September that North Korea possessed up to 2,000 kg of highly enriched uranium (HEU) with an enrichment level of more than 90%. Given that approximately 15–20 kg of HEU is generally required for each nuclear weapon, that amount could produce around 100 weapons. 
On the other hand, President Trump may have broadened the estimate by adding together mobile launchers and the total number of missiles, including intercontinental ballistic missiles (ICBMs) capable of carrying nuclear warheads and intermediate- and short-range missiles. He may also have included the number of detonators. 
U.S. President Donald Trump (right) meets with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un on Sentosa Island in Singapore on June 12, 2018. AP Newsis


[email protected] Kim Kyung-soo Reporter