Rep. Park Sun-won of the main opposition Democratic Party of Korea speaks during an interview with The Korea Times at his office in Seoul, Monday. Korea Times photo by Choi Won-suk

U.S. President Donald Trump is well qualified to win a Nobel Peace Prize for his role in facilitating talks with North Korean leader Kim Jong-un during his first term and peace-building efforts during his second term, according to Rep. Park Sun-won of the main opposition Democratic Party of Korea (DPK).

On this basis, Park recently recommended Trump for the 2025 prize.

Having served as the deputy director of the National Intelligence Service (NIS) under the previous Moon Jae-in administration, Park was partially involved in the unprecedented three-way meeting of Trump, Kim and Moon at the inter-Korean Demilitarized Zone in June 2019.

His recommendation letter to the Norwegian Nobel Committee, exclusively obtained by The Korea Times, states that "President Trump, during his tenure as the 45th president of the United States, made significant contributions to promoting peace on the Korean Peninsula, advancing denuclearization efforts, and strengthening ROK-U.S alliance, which collectively enhanced global peace and stability."

It continues: "Furthermore, during his inauguration as the 47th president, he has also emphasized the importance of restoring relations with North Korea, reigniting regional and global hopes for its denuclearization."

Park said it's a shame the Moon administration did not nominate Trump during the U.S. president's first term.

"The Nobel Committee would have responded more positively if Moon — a stakeholder in denuclearization talks — had recommended Trump. Since the North Korean nuclear issue is directly related to our security, I thought it's my duty as a responsible member of the National Assembly to recommend him," he said Monday during an interview with The Korea Times at his office.

This is not the first time Trump's name was put forward for the Nobel Peace Prize. Norwegian lawmakers recommended him in 2018 for his negotiations with North Korea and in 2021 for mediating a peace deal between Israel and the United Arab Emirates. In 2019, Trump claimed that Japan's then Prime Minister Shinzo Abe had also recommended him for the honor.

Park's move is in line with the DPK's softening position on the U.S. under the second Trump administration. Rep. Lee Jae-myung, leader of the DPK and a strong presidential contender, also mentioned recently that he would consider nominating Trump for the Nobel Peace Prize if there is a significant breakthrough in deterring North Korea's nuclear and missile threats.

"If Trump doesn't win the prize this year, Lee can recommend him on behalf of the party again next year. Wouldn't that be more effective?" Park said.

He said the chances of Trump winning the prize would be higher if the U.S. reaches out to North Korea in May or June this year.

"The committee is expected to begin an adviser review in April or May. If talks between the U.S. and Russia aimed at ending the war in Ukraine become finalized in early March, the U.S. will have enough time to reach out to North Korea in May or June," Park said.

The Nobel Committee doesn't publicly comment on nominees, which are kept secret for 50 years. The 2025 Nobel Peace Prize winner will be announced in October.

Rep. Park Sun-won of the main opposition Democratic Party of Korea (DPK) was caught on camera sharing a handwritten note with Rep. Kim Min-seok and DPK Chairman Lee Jae-myung, both not pictured, in the National Assembly main hall, Feb. 3. The note shows his recommendation of U.S. President Donald Trump for the Nobel Peace Prize. Yonhap

Park, who concurrently serves as a member of the National Assembly's defense and intelligence committees, analyzed that Trump's appointments of foreign policy aides reflect his willingness to seek dialogue with the North Korean leader.

"Trump's appointments of Allison Hooker as undersecretary of state for political affairs, Alex Wong as principal deputy national security adviser and Richard Grenell as special missions envoy responsible in part for diplomacy with North Korea signal Trump's willingness to resume diplomacy toward Pyongyang," Park said.

During the first Trump administration, Hooker was deeply involved in preparations for Trump's summits with Kim in Singapore in June 2018 and Hanoi in February 2019 and the meeting at the inter-Korean border village of Panmunjeom in June 2019.

The lawmaker also predicted that North Korea may formally acknowledge deploying its troops to aid Russia in its war against Ukraine if the U.S.-Russia peace talks take place.

"I think North Korea will soon acknowledge its troop deployment to Russia. The Ukraine-Russia war is naturally linked to the North Korean nuclear issue like a back-to-back connection. North Korea has dragged itself into the Ukraine war by deploying its troops," he said. "The U.S. will likely bring up the issue of North Korean troops during the peace talk and urge Russia to pull them out of the war because it's illegal."

Park added that it's possible that the reclusive regime is giving incentives to North Korean soldiers sent to support Russia' invasion of Ukraine. "North Korea is believed to allow soldiers serving in the war to join the Workers' Party of Korea. But I'm not sure about giving financial incentives because any financial benefit would be provided by Russia," he said.