Donald Trump ‘deserves Nobel Peace Prize’
South Korean president Moon Jae-in praises Trump for role in North Korea talks

South Korean President Moon Jae-in has raised some eyebrows with the suggestion that Donald Trump should receive a Nobel Peace Prize.
At a cabinet meeting on Monday, Moon told his ministers that he was “confident that a new era of peace will unfold on the Korean peninsula”, and praised his American counterpart’s role in the recent thawing of relations with Pyongyang.
Responding to a letter from one of South Korea’s past first ladies calling for Moon to receive the Nobel Peace Prize, Moon said: “It's President Trump who should receive the Nobel Prize. We only need to take peace.”
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
He has previously said the US President deserved “big credit” for the recent thawing in relations with North Korea, The Independent reports.
The suggestion might seem bold, but the success of Friday’s inter-Korean summit means Moon has “the political capital to make these kinds of statements about Trump, however eyebrow-raising they may be to his domestic constituents”, says NPR.
Since Moon’s landmark talks with Kim Jong Un on Friday, Pyongyang has said it is to close a nuclear testing facility and bring the North Korean timezone into line with the South, while Seoul has agreed to cease loudspeaker propaganda broadcasts at the border.
Trump is set to meet Kim within weeks for the first-ever talks between sitting US president and a North Korean leader.
The image of Trump being crowned as a peacemaker on the level of Martin Luther King Jr and Nelson Mandela was met with incredulity by some on social media:
But for his admirers, it was a moment to crow about:
One person likely to approve Moon’s sentiment is Trump himself, who has repeatedly attributed the fresh hope for peace on the peninsula to his own policies:
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
-
5 explosively funny cartoons about the 4th of July
Cartoons Artists take on liberty and justice for all, a terrifying firework, and more
-
Jeff in Venice: a "triumph of tackiness"?
In the Spotlight Locals protest as Bezos uses the city as a 'private amusement park' for his wedding celebrations
-
Sudoku medium: July 5, 2025
The Week's daily medium sudoku puzzle
-
IAEA: Iran could enrich uranium 'within months'
Speed Read The chief United Nations nuclear inspector, Rafael Grossi, says Iran could be enriching uranium again soon
-
One year after mass protests, why are Kenyans taking to the streets again?
today's big question More than 60 protesters died during demonstrations in 2024
-
Iran nukes program set back months, early intel suggests
Speed Read A Pentagon assessment says US bombing of Iranian nuclear sites only set the program back by months, not years. This contradicts President Donald Trump's claim.
-
Trump gives himself 2 weeks for Iran decision
Speed Read Trump said he believes negotiations will occur in the near future
-
What would a US strike on Iran mean for the Middle East?
TODAY'S BIG QUESTION A precise attack could break Iran's nuclear programme – or pull the US and its allies into a drawn-out war even more damaging than Iraq or Afghanistan
-
US says Trump vetoed Israeli strike on Khamenei
Speed Read This comes as Israel and Iran pushed their conflict into its fourth day
-
After Israel's brazen Iran attack, what's next for the region and the world?
TODAY'S BIG QUESTION Following decades of saber-rattling, Israel's aerial assault on Iranian military targets has pushed the Middle East to the brink of all-out war
-
Why Israel is attacking Iran now
The Explainer A weakened Tehran and a distracted Donald Trump have led Benjamin Netanyahu to finally act against long-standing foe