South Korea’s Unification Minister Chung Dong-young said North Korea is estimated to possess up to 2,000 kg of highly enriched uranium, enough to significantly boost its nuclear weapons capacity. He noted that uranium centrifuges are operating at four sites, with only 10–12 kg required for a single bomb. Chung argued that sanctions can no longer persuade Pyongyang to abandon its nuclear program, and that the resumption of U.S.-North Korea talks is the only viable breakthrough. Such talks could also help revive inter-Korean relations. North Korean leader Kim Jong-un recently expressed openness to talks with Washington if denuclearization is off the table, but rejected dialogue with Seoul. South Korean President Lee Jae-myung stressed at the UN General Assembly that hostility on the Korean Peninsula must end, and said Seoul could accept a U.S.-North Korea deal to freeze the North’s nuclear program as a “realistic alternative.” Meanwhile, Chung revealed discussions on suspending live-fire drills near the DMZ and dismissed bringing two North Korean soldiers captured in Ukraine to South Korea, citing Kyiv’s opposition.
https://en.yna.co.kr/view/AEN20250925007400315?section=nk/nk
