Trump says North Korea has 57 nuclear weapons, seeks talks with Kim

U.S. President Donald Trump said North Korea possesses 57 nuclear weapons and expressed a desire to meet with leader Kim Jong-un. Speaking to reporters at the White House, Trump said Kim holds 57 powerful nuclear weapons and should not be allowed to use them, while describing his relationship with Kim as good. Trump also disclosed on social media last Sunday that U.S.-South Korea joint military exercises had sent an "inappropriate and hostile" message to the North, and said he had instructed Defense Department officials to reduce those drills. The two leaders held a series of meetings in 2018 and 2019, including a brief encounter inside the demilitarized zone on the Korean Peninsula. Trump was the first sitting U.S. president to step onto North Korean territory. The Stockholm International Peace Research Institute estimated in June that North Korea may have produced roughly 60 nuclear warheads and possesses enough fissile material for at least 30 more.