Gunnar Berge, the chairman of the five-member Norwegian Nobel Committee, praised Kim's work in easing tensions on the divided Korean peninsula.

Kim Dae-jung

"With great moral strength, Kim Dae-Jung has stood out in East Asia as a leading defender of universal human rights against attempts to limit the relevance of those rights in Asia," said the Nobel Committee's press release.

Kim was once considered a dissident in his own country. His rise to the presidency was considered a breakthrough for democracy in South Korea.

In June, Kim made a historic journey to Pyongyang and met with North Korean leader Kim Jong-Il. The two leaders have made rapid progress toward normalizing relations between the bitter rivals.

Despite a truce that brought the 1950-53 Korean War to an end, the two Koreas are still technically at war.

Meanwhile, there was no formal comment or reaction on the award from the state-controlled North Korean Television station, observers said. Kim will receive the award Dec. 10. The award includes about $900,000 U.S. dollars (1.3 million Cdn.) He'll receive the prize at a special ceremony in Norway.