South Korean President: Pyongyang Could Produce 20 Nuclear Bombs Annually

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South Korean President: Pyongyang Could Produce 20 Nuclear Bombs Annually
South Korean President Lee Jae-myung warned that North Korea is working to develop the capability to produce between 10 and 20 nuclear bombs per year, calling for a reduction of tensions on the Korean Peninsula.اضافة اعلان

His remarks came after his meeting at the White House on Monday with U.S. President Donald Trump, who expressed hope of meeting North Korean leader Kim Jong Un. According to the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute, Pyongyang’s nuclear arsenal is estimated at 50 warheads, with enough fissile material to produce up to 40 more.

Speaking at the Center for Strategic and International Studies in Washington on Monday evening, Lee said North Korea had completed “the development of an intercontinental ballistic missile capable of reaching the United States, and they continue to develop the capacity to produce nearly 10 to 20 nuclear bombs annually.”

Lee referred to the hardline policies Seoul had adopted toward Pyongyang before he took office earlier this year. He said: “We have made efforts to deter North Korea and impose sanctions, but the result was that North Korea continued to advance its nuclear program.” He continued: “The reality is that the number of nuclear weapons North Korea possesses has increased over the past three to four years,” stressing his country’s commitment to using conventional weapons to deter the North.

He also mentioned his efforts to ease measures viewed as provocative, such as halting the broadcasting of anti-North Korea propaganda messages through loudspeakers along the border.

Lee visited Trump at the White House on Monday, in a meeting that Trump preceded by expressing willingness to meet Kim Jong Un again and by criticizing his South Korean guest. However, Trump — who met Kim three times during his first term — praised their relationship, telling reporters that he knows Kim “better than almost anyone, except perhaps his sister.”

Trump also took to social media to launch an attack on Lee Jae-myung. He wrote on his platform Truth Social: “What is happening in South Korea? It looks like a purge, or a revolution. We cannot witness that and continue our business there.”

When asked by a White House reporter to clarify his remarks, Trump said: “Well, I heard that there were raids on churches in recent days.” Yet, while hosting Lee, he praised him and appeared to backtrack on his earlier comments, saying: “I’m confident it’s just a misunderstanding,” referring to them as “rumors,” according to an AFP report.

The U.S. president stressed the alignment of views between himself and his South Korean counterpart regarding North Korea.