Republican lawmakers nominate Trump for Nobel Peace Prize

Seventeen Republican lawmakers have nominated US President Donald Trump for this year's Nobel Peace Prize in recognition of his work to end the Korean War, denuclearise the Korean peninsula and bring peace to the region.

Trump has accepted an invitation to meet North Korean leader Kim Jong-un. This would be the first-ever meeting between leaders of the US and North Korea.

"Since taking office, President Trump has worked tirelessly to apply maximum pressure on North Korea to end its illicit weapons program and bring peace to the region. His administration successfully united the international community, including China, to impose one of the most successful international sanctions regimes in history," the letter said.

The sanctions have decimated the North Korean economy and have been largely credited for bringing North Korea to the negotiating table, the Congressmen said in a letter to Berit Reiss-Andersen, Chair of the Norwegian Nobel Committee.

On April 20, North Korea announced it will end its nuclear weapons and intercontinental ballistic missile testing programmes.

On April 27, North Korea and South Korea announced that they will work toward ending the Korean War, seek to reunify their countries, and that they will begin a process to denuclearize the Korean peninsula.

"President Moon Jae-in of South Korea has consistently praised the administration's work and recently said, 'President Trump should win the Nobel Peace Prize'," the lawmakers wrote.

Although North Korea has evaded demands from the international community to cease its aggression for decades, Trump's peace through strength policies are working and bringing peace to the Korean Peninsula, they said.

The White House did not respond to a question on the letter.

Early this week, Trump told reporters that he is focused on achieving peace in the region.