N. Korea typically estimated to have 80-120 nuclear weapons: defense minister

Defense Minister Ahn Gyu-back speaks during a parliamentary session at the National Assembly in Seoul, Thursday. Yonhap

North Korea is estimated to have around 80 to 120 nuclear weapons, Defense Minister Ahn Gyu-back said Thursday, declining to offer a specific figure.

Ahn made the remarks during a parliamentary session, after U.S. President Donald Trump claimed Pyongyang possesses 57 "very powerful" nuclear weapons. It marked the first time Trump has cited a specific figure regarding the North's nuclear arsenal.

"We typically see that (North Korea has) around 80 to 120 (nuclear weapons), but I am very limited in providing a specific figure," Ahn told lawmakers.

Given Trump's remarks, the estimates held by South Korea and the United States regarding the North's nuclear stockpile "appear to be slightly different," Ahn noted.

It was considered rare for a South Korean, as well as U.S., government official to reveal a specific number for Pyongyang's nuclear arsenal, not only because such information is highly classified, but also because it may be misinterpreted as acknowledging the North as a nuclear-armed state.

South Korea and the United States have maintained that the reclusive state is not recognized as a nuclear-armed nation.

"We can never officially acknowledge that," Ahn said, when asked by an opposition lawmaker if Seoul recognizes Pyongyang's possession of a nuclear arsenal.

Asked what he makes of Trump's latest remarks, Ahn declined to comment, saying it would be inappropriate for a South Korean minister to assess statements made by the U.S. president.

Ahn reaffirmed that South Korea has no intention to develop its own nuclear weapons and maintains that it must continue to strengthen its defense under the nuclear deterrence framework with the United States.