While Trump Warms to North Korean Nukes, We Must Fight for a Nuclear-Free Korean Peninsula

While President Donald Trump specifically noted that North Korea has “57 very powerful nuclear weapons,” he did not directly answer the question of whether the goal of engaging in talks with North Korea was denuclearization. It appears that Trump has decided to pursue a fourth summit with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un after acknowledging the reality that North Korea possesses nuclear weapons. By contrast, the South Korean government maintains that its primary goal in negotiations with the North is to halt the advancement of the North’s nuclear capabilities, while remaining committed to a “nuclear-free” Korean peninsula. Now is the time for South Korea to pour all of its diplomatic energy into ensuring that its position is reflected in talks between the United States and North Korea.

When asked by reporters on the morning of Aug. 19 whether he expected to meet with Kim later this year, Trump responded, “Yeah, I will.” Trump added that Kim “has 57 very powerful nuclear weapons,” but said that “he’s gonna be fine as long as we have a smart president...” One can interpret Trump’s explicit reference to the number of North Korean nuclear weapons as being part of his characteristic rhetoric in which he intentionally emphasizes the “concrete reality” of the situation. At an event later in the day, when Trump was asked whether the goal of reconnecting with Kim was still denuclearization, Trump abruptly ended the exchange, saying, “...I don’t want to talk about that.”

Regarding the North Korean nuclear issue, the second Trump administration has publicly maintained that North Korea should be denuclearized, as expressed in the U.S.–South Korea joint statement released in November 2025 and the U.S. briefing materials on the U.S.–China summit in May. Nevertheless, Trump began referring to North Korea as a “nuclear-armed state” from the very first day of his second term, and the U.S. Defense Department erased any mention of denuclearization from the National Defense Strategy released in January. As a result, debate over the United States’ true intentions persists. If Trump reaches a compromise by removing only threats against the United States such as intercontinental ballistic missiles, while lifting sanctions, a “nuclear-free” Korean peninsula would become impossible to achieve. This strategy would also dismiss South Korea’s security interests.

On Aug. 19, Kim Yo Jong, a department director of North Korea’s Workers’ Party, said that the U.S. proposal to reduce joint military exercises was “not worth talking about,” effectively calling for an end to “hostile” policies against North Korea. North Korea then launched approximately 10 short-range missiles toward the East Sea. As South Korea closely monitors future dealings between the two nations, it must also strengthen communication with the United States and find a way to participate directly in negotiations.