President Donald Trump said Friday that he has been nominated for a Nobel Peace Prize by Japan's prime minister, Shinzo Abe.

Trump claimed the nomination was for his work opening a dialogue with North Korea. Less than a year ago, Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un held a historic meeting. Since then, Trump has claimed North Korea is no longer a nuclear threat, although independent analysts have questioned that assessment.

Trump said Friday that 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.'"

Nominations for the 2019 prize were due to be submitted to the Norwegian Nobel Committee before Feb. 1.

The comments came after a question about Trump's planned summit in Vietnam with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un.

This is not the first time there has been talk of Trump being nominated for the prize.

South Korean President Moon Jae-in has endorsed Trump for the prize, crediting him for starting negotiations with the reclusive North.

And in June, 2018, two Norwegian lawmakers nominated Trump for the peace prize. A group of U.S. lawmakers have also backed Trump’s nomination for the 2019 prize.

Feb. 15:Trump: Obama was on brink of 'a big war' with North Korea. Not true, ex-Obama aides say

However, some of Trump's previous nominations have come under scrutiny. In February 2018, two Nobel Peace Prize nominations for Trump were deemed forgeries by Norwegian Nobel Committee, the New York Times reported.

Trump has complained about President Barack Obama's 2009 Nobel Peace Prize and expressed doubt that he would be similarly honored. On Friday, Trump asserted that Obama was on the brink of starting "a big war" with North Korea, a claim disputed by ex-Obama aides.

Contributing: John Fritze and Deirdre Shesgreen, USA TODAY; The Associated Press