Keith B. Richburg

Quick Take | Donald Trump, the Nobel-worthy peacemaker in Korea? It’s not so far-fetched

The US president may indeed deserve praise for the current optimism on the Korean peninsula – but it is not because of the ‘fire and fury’ threats or the taunting of Kim Jong-un. It’s the sanctions, stupid

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South Korean President Moon Jae-in and US President Donald Trump at the White House in Washington. Photo: AFP

Keith B. Richburg

Published: 8:02am, 6 May 2018Updated: 8:02am, 6 May 2018

One year and four months into his presidency, Donald Trump has been called a lot of things – populist, demagogue, disrupter, authoritarian, narcissistic, corrupt, even unhinged, among the printable epithets.

But peacemaker?

That hardly seems a fitting moniker for the US president who boasted about the size of his “nuclear button”, threatened to unleash “fire and fury” on the Korean peninsula, and warned Russia to “get ready” to face “nice and new and smart” missiles raining down in Syria.

But it may not be too far-fetched. After the remarkable summit between South Korean President Moon Jae-in and North Korean leader Kim Jong-un at Panmunjom, where the two erstwhile enemies talked about a peace treaty and the denuclearisation of the peninsula, many are legitimately asking: does Trump deserve the credit?

Security personnel jog alongside a vehicle transporting North Korean leader Kim Jong-un at the truce village of Panmunjom. Photo: Reuters

His base of loyal supporters certainly thinks so. At a recent rally in Michigan, they chanted “No-bel! No-bel!” signalling their support for Trump being awarded this year’s Nobel Peace Prize. It’s an idea first floated by Moon, who evidently has learned that flattering Trump is the key to influencing him.