South Korean president: Trump ‘should win the Nobel Peace Prize

President Donald Trump and South Korean President Moon Jae-in have heaped praise on one another over the ongoing discussions with North Korea. | Kim Hong-Ji/AFP/Getty Images

President Donald Trump should receive the Nobel Peace Prize for his efforts in ongoing talks to denuclearize the Korean peninsula, South Korean President Moon Jae-in told officials on Monday, according to reports.

The remarks came in response to a note from Lee Hee-ho, widow of late South Korean President Kim Dae-jung, who congratulated the foreign leader on his historic meeting with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un on Friday.

Lee argued in her note that Moon deserved to win the Nobel Peace Prize for the progression in talks with the northern neighbor, which took a significant step forward last week after a North Korean leader visited the south for the first time since the nations signed an armistice agreement in 1953 to halt the Korean War.

Discussing the note with his aides on Monday, Moon said it was Trump who was worthy of the prize.

“President Trump should win the Nobel Peace Prize,” Moon reportedly replied. “The only thing we need is peace.”

The comment initially was reported by media organizations in South Korea and confirmed by South Korea’s presidential Blue House to foreign outlets.

Trump and Moon have heaped praise on one another over the ongoing discussions with North Korea in anticipation of Trump’s summit with Kim.

On Saturday, the U.S. president tweeted that he and Moon had a “very good talk” and that progress continued to be made in ironing out logistics for the meeting with North Korean officials.

“Things are going very well, time and location of meeting with North Korea is being set,” Trump wrote.

South Korean officials said over the weekend that North Korea would close its nuclear test site in May, the latest concession from the country in recent days.

Four former U.S. presidents have won the Nobel Peace Prize: Theodore Roosevelt, Woodrow Wilson, Jimmy Carter and Barack Obama.

Source:politico.com