Liberal Korean politician recommends U.S. President Donald Trump for Nobel Peace Prize
Published: 04 Feb. 2025, 11:38
Updated: 04 Feb. 2025, 18:31
![Liberal Democratic Party (DP) Rep. Park Sun-won holds up a memo mentioning the recommendation of U.S. President Donald Trump for the Nobel Peace Prize on Feb. 3. The names of U.S. congresspeople Andy Kim and Young Kim is also seen in the memo. [YONHAP]](https://koreajoongangdaily.joins.com/data/photo/2025/02/04/459022a5-6f5f-4655-b88d-67cb7616d66c.jpg)
Liberal Democratic Party (DP) Rep. Park Sun-won holds up a memo mentioning the recommendation of U.S. President Donald Trump for the Nobel Peace Prize on Feb. 3. The names of U.S. congresspeople Andy Kim and Young Kim is also seen in the memo. [YONHAP]
Liberal Democratic Party (DP) Rep. Park Sun-won recommended U.S. President Donald Trump for the Nobel Peace Prize.
Park made the recommendation on Jan. 30 and shared it with party leader Lee Jae-myung, according to Jo Seoung-lae, spokesperson for the DP.
“During his first term, President Trump reached a stage where the United States and North Korea could have created a turning point for establishing peace on the Korean Peninsula through dialogue,” Jo said Monday at the National Assembly in Yeouido, western Seoul.
“This recommendation was made with the hope that President Trump would continue to work for peace on the Korean Peninsula moving forward.”
Park served as a deputy director in South Korea’s top spy agency, the National Intelligence Service (NIS), during the Moon Jae-in administration.
"During the North Korea-U.S. dialogue process at the time, Rep. Park had contact with the Trump administration," said Jo. "Based on that experience, he decided to nominate President Trump."
The Moon administration did not recommend President Trump for the Nobel Peace Prize. At the time, then-Japanese Prime Minister Abe Shinzo recommended the U.S. president for the award.
Earlier on Monday, during the National Assembly's opening ceremony and plenary session, Rep. Park showed a handwritten memo to Lee and DP supreme council member Kim Min-seok while in conversation.
Released photos captured the memo, which read: "Trump Nobel Peace Prize recommendation – Submission to the Norwegian committee completed – Notify U.S. side (Report to White House pending)." The memo also included the names of Korean American lawmakers Sen. Andy Kim, a Democrat of New Jersey, and Rep. Young Kim, a Republican of California.
Lee has also spoken positively about Trump’s recommendation before.
"If an end-of-war declaration is realized, it will have a positive impact on peace on the Korean Peninsula,” Lee said in a supreme council meeting on Nov. 25 last year. “In this regard, I am willing to actively participate in the nomination of President Trump for the Nobel Peace Prize."
Individuals eligible to nominate candidates for the Nobel Peace Prize include past recipients of the award and current or former members of the Nobel Committee. Government officials, lawmakers and university professors from various countries are also allowed to submit nominations.
The Nobel Peace Prize is reviewed by the Norwegian Nobel Committee, and the award ceremony takes place at Oslo City Hall.
BY KIM MIN-YOUNG [[email protected]]
with the Korea JoongAng Daily
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