2 hours Ago By [email protected](KoreaTimes)
U.S. President Donald Trump speaks as he signs executive orders in the Oval Office in the White House, Monday, in Washington.
AP-Yonhap By Lee Hae-rin A wave of controversies has erupted between the two rival parties here following a recommendation on Tuesday by a main opposition lawmaker suggesting that U.S. President Donald Trump be considered a candidate for the Nobel Peace Prize.
According to the party's senior spokesperson, Jo Seoung-lae, Rep. Park Sun-won of the main opposition Democratic Party of Korea (DPK) recommended Trump for the Nobel Peace Prize for his role in facilitating dialogue between North Korea and the U.S.
during former President Moon Jae-in's administration. “The recommendation was made on Jan. 30 to the Norwegian Nobel Committee and party leader Lee Jae-myung and senior DPK Rep.
Kim Min-seok have been informed about this,” he said. Jo's confirmation came after Park was seen at the National Assembly on Monday, where he and Kim spoke over a notebook containing a memo about the recommendation of Trump for the Nobel Peace Prize. The memo outlines a series of actions taken or to be done, including: "Trump's Nobel Peace Prize recommendation letter — submission and receipt completed by the Norwegian committee — notification (nondisclosure for now) (to be reported to the White House)," the page read.
Rep. Park Sun-won of the main opposition Democratic Party of Korea, center, speaks with party leader Lee Jae-myung, right, and senior lawmaker Kim Min-seok at the National Assembly, Monday, holding a notebook that contains information about his recommendation that U.S.
President Donald Trump be considered a candidate for the Nobel Peace Prize. Yonhap "I highly appreciate Trump's contribution to world peace and stability through the promotion of peace on the Korean Peninsula, denuclearization and strengthening of the Korea-U.S.
alliance during his 45th presidency," Park said in a press release. "It is sufficiently in line with the ideals and values of the Nobel Peace Prize in that Trump emphasized the restoration of relations with North Korea at his inauguration ceremony as the 47th president of the United States on Jan. 20, and drew international expectations for denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula," the lawmaker added.
However, the recommendation sparked criticism, with many questioning its legitimacy given Trump's discriminatory policies and hate speech aimed at illegal immigrants and minorities. People rally in support of immigrants in response to the Trump administration's new policies in San Diego, California, Sunday. U.
S. President Donald Trump began his second term on Jan. 20 with a flurry of executive actions aimed at overhauling U.
S. immigration. AFP-Yonhap Trump has decided to mobilize the best military units to control the U.
S. border. It is estimated that some 110,000 Koreans could also face deportation under his administration.
"Economic peace is also valuable in this day and age, but Trump is causing conflict around the world with tariffs, building a wall on the border and expelling immigrants. It is hard to believe that our party recommends him for the Nobel Prize at a time when Koreans are also on the verge of deportation," a DPK lawmaker said, "Even U.S.
Republicans will laugh at this." In response, the ruling People Power Party (PPP) issued a statement on Tuesday, criticizing the recommendation as "shameful flattery" intended to pave the way for DPK leader Lee to become president in a future election. "DPK lawmaker Park Sun-won's recommendation of Trump for the Nobel Peace Prize is a 180-degree turn from the DPK's position on the U.
S. that it has shown so far, and it is making viewers doubt their views," the PPP's senior spokesperson wrote. Meanwhile, Jo added, "Opinions may vary, but Park has made the recommendation based on certain criteria for judgment, and it seems that the recommendation has already been made.
".
