Seoul: North Korea is presumed to possess up to 2,000 kg of highly enriched uranium, as the country has sought to significantly expand its nuclear weapons capabilities in recent years, South Korean Unification Minister Chung Dong-young said Thursday. In a press conference in Seoul, Chung mentioned that "estimates (by experts) suggest North Korea possesses up to 2,000 kg of highly enriched uranium at 90 percent and higher," noting that uranium between 10 to 12 kg is sufficient to produce one bomb. "Even at this very hour, uranium centrifuges at four locations (in North Korea) are running, probably accumulating nuclear materials," he said.
According to Kuwait News Agency, Chung assessed that it is now impossible to persuade North Korea to abandon its nuclear weapons program through international sanctions. He suggested that the resumption of North Korea-US talks could instead serve as a "breakthrough" in stalled denuclearization efforts. The resumption of these talks could also help reopen stalled inter-Korean ties, and the government intends to do its "utmost" to foster an environment conducive to talks between Pyongyang and Washington, he stated.
Chung's remarks came days after North Korean leader Kim Jong-un, in a recent speech to a key parliamentary meeting, reiterated the regime's interest in resuming talks with Washington, on the condition that the long-standing call for denuclearization be dropped. Kim, however, ruled out talks with Seoul and rejected the possibility of unifying the two Koreas.