"Estimates suggest that North Korea's HEU stockpiles are around 2,000 kg," he said during a press conference in Seoul, citing assessments from experts.
If accurate, this would be enough for roughly 100 nuclear weapons, as 20 to 25 kg of uranium is sufficient to produce one bomb.
Chung flatly dismissed the need for additional sanctions against North Korea, saying they would no longer be effective in pressuring the country to abandon its nuclear weapons program, as centrifuges are already operating at several facilities.
He then added, "Any breakthrough in North Korea's denuclearization can be made through direct talks between Pyongyang and Washington."
Due to North Korea's secrete enrichment facilities, which make precise assessment difficult, South Korea's biennial Defense White Paper has merely described the country as having a "substantial amount" of HEU.
The minister also mentioned that a more practical and flexible approach to inter-Korean relations is now needed, as the two Koreas should accept a new reality by recognizing each other as independent states, insisting that this would not mean giving up the long-cherished goal of reunification.
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