Donald Trump has said Japan’s Prime Minister nominated him for the Nobel Peace Prize for his work to open up a dialogue with North Korea.

At a White House event to discuss the proposed border wall, Mr Trump spoke about his upcoming summit with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un in Vietnam.

The president said early exchanges with Mr Kim were filled with “fire and fury” but since their first meeting last year, the two have established a good relationship.

Shinzo Abe visit to UK
Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe is said to have nominated Donald Trump (Dan Kitwood/PA)

Mr Trump said Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe “gave me the most beautiful copy of a letter that he sent to the people who give out a thing called the Nobel Prize.

“He said, ‘I have nominated you, respectfully, on behalf of Japan. I am asking them to give you the Nobel Peace Prize.'”

South Korean President Moon Jae-in, who has also credited Mr Trump with starting negotiations with North Korea, has endorsed him for the prize as well.

In 2009, President Barack Obama received the Nobel Peace Prize for laying out the US commitment to “seek the peace and security of a world without nuclear weapons”.

“I’ll probably never get it, but that’s OK,” Mr Trump said. “They gave it to Obama. He didn’t even know what he got it for.”