'Nobel Prize Winner' East Timor President "Revolution of Light, Recommendation for Nobel Peace Prize"

East Timor President José Hamus Orta, a Nobel Peace Prize winner, said on the 6th, "I will strongly recommend 'Revolution of Light' as a candidate for the Nobel Peace Prize."

President Orta said this in a joint press release after holding a summit meeting with President Lee Jae-myung at the Blue House on this day, saying, "The Light Revolution is very meaningful and deserves high praise from the international community."

He said, “The Korean people have continued to fight for democracy since former President Kim Dae-jung took office. Of course, leaders made dedicated efforts to prevent the destruction of democracy, but the power of ordinary citizens was there.”

He also emphasized, “(The Revolution of Light) was not just a single event, and through it, a lot of experience was accumulated,” and “As such, I will definitely recommend ‘Revolution of Light’ to the Nobel Committee as a Nobel Prize winner.”

Then, President Lee expressed his gratitude, saying, "President Orta, a Nobel Prize winner, recommended former President Kim Dae-jung as a Nobel Prize winner, and former President Kim received the award. Since he is recommending the people of the Republic of Korea who achieved the Revolution of Light as candidates for the Nobel Peace Prize, I think there is a very high possibility that he will actually win the award."

He added, “If that can happen, the relationship between the Republic of Korea and East Timor will truly have a special moment in world history.”

Previously, in a special statement to the nation issued last December, marking the first year of martial law on December 3, President Lee said, "I am convinced that the Korean people are fully qualified to receive the Nobel Peace Prize."

Then, in February of this year, some political scientists, including former and current presidents of the International Political Association (IPA), recommended 'all Korean citizens' as candidates for the Nobel Peace Prize.

However, this year's Nobel Peace Prize actually went to Nabi Pillai, an interim judge at the International Court of Justice (ICJ).

President Orta received the Nobel Peace Prize in 1996 for leading the non-violent resistance movement as an independence movement leader during the Indonesian colonial rule of East Timor.