Could Korean and Japanese Leaders Share a Nobel Peace Prize? The U.S. Deputy Secretary of State Thinks So

On the 24th (local time), U.S. Deputy Secretary of State Kurt Campbell said, “Yoon Suk Yeol and Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida should jointly win the Nobel Peace Prize,” highly praising the strengthened cooperation between South Korea, the United States, and Japan due to improved Korean-Japanese relations.

According to foreign media and the presidential office, Campbell said during a conversation at the Hudson Institute, “The Nobel Peace Prize does not focus much on the Indo-Pacific region. If someone asks me, ‘Who deserves the prize for doing something so important on the international stage,’ I would say that Prime Minister Kishida and President Yoon should share it.”

Campbell mentioned the significance of the trilateral summit last year, saying, “It was astonishing to see the leaders of South Korea and Japan overcoming complicated historical issues and various stakeholders and political forces.”

He stated, “Due to the Camp David summit, the United States has had a role and voice in the previously neglected South Korea-Japan relations. From then on, we are prepared to intervene quietly when something harmful occurs in the trilateral relationship.” He added, “If the three countries continue to improve their relations at this pace successfully, it will have the most significant effect on U.S. regional relations.”

He said, “It’s not easy to build a habit of cooperation, but I believe that both South Korea and Japan, their leaders, and even South Korea’s opposition party will take necessary measures to continue the trilateral cooperation.” He also emphasized, “The cooperation between the three countries is not an immature effort. It has already grown to a substantial level. It has become a bridgehead that needs to be continually strengthened.”

In response to the criticism that negative public opinion is being formed on South Korea-Japan relations due to the opposition party’s landslide victory in Korea’s April 10th general election, Campbell said, “There are also many public opinion polls supporting the improvement of South Korea-Japan relations. More direct measures need to be taken to highlight these achievements, and the United States is also moving away from its previous passive stance and conducting many underwater discussions related to the trilateral relationship.”