South Korean President Moon Jae-in says Trump deserves Nobel Peace Prize

Moon’s Nobel Prize comment was in response to a congratulatory message from the widow of late South Korean President Kim Dae-jung, in which she said Moon deserved to win the prize, according to an official

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South Korean President Moon Jae-in speaking with North Korean leader Kim Jong-un (unseen) during the inter-Korean summit in the Peace House building on the southern side of the truce village of Panmunjom. This photo was taken on April 27 and released on April 29 by North Korea's Korean Central News Agency (KCNA). Photo: AFP / KCNA via KNS

Published: 1:00am, 1 May 2018Updated: 1:37am, 1 May 2018

South Korean President Moon Jae-in said US President Donald Trump deserved a Nobel Peace Prize for his efforts to end the stand-off with North Korea over its nuclear weapons programme, a South Korean official said on Monday.

“President Trump should win the Nobel Peace Prize. What we need is only peace,” Moon told a meeting of senior secretaries, according to a presidential Blue House official who briefed media.

Moon and North Korean leader Kim Jong-un on Friday pledged at a summit to end hostilities between their countries and work toward the “complete denuclearisation” of the Korean peninsula.

North Korean leader Kim Jong-un (left) walking with South Korean President Moon Jae-in to the official summit Peace House building for their meeting on the southern side of the truce village of Panmunjom. This picture was taken on April 27 and released from North Korea's Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) on April 29. Photo: AFP / KCNA via KNS

Moon’s Nobel Prize comment came in response to a congratulatory message from Lee Hee-ho, the widow of late South Korean President Kim Dae-jung, in which she said Moon deserved to win the prize, the Blue House official said.

Moon responded by saying Trump should get it.

The upcoming Trump-Kim meeting was the main subject of a private walk and chat that Kim and Moon had during their meeting at the border, the official said.