U.S. National Security Adviser Condoleezza Rice promised North Korea a wide range of benefits if it dismantled its nuclear programs, saying the aid would bring the impoverished nation into the international community. In talks with Foreign Minister Ban Ki-moon, Rice spoke of the seriousness of a U.S. plan to rehabilitate North Korea as a member of the international community if Pyongyang dismantled its nuclear weapons programs. "North Korea will be surprised to find how much will be possible if it suspends nuclear activities, accepts international inspections and truly dismantles its nuclear programs," a South Korean foreign ministry official quoted Rice as saying. The benefits will become clear to North Korean leader Kim Jong-il if he studies the transformation that Libya is going through after it disavowed weapons of mass destruction and opened up to the international community, Rice was quoted as saying. North Korea has demanded a package of energy assistance and security guarantees in exchange for agreeing to a nuclear freeze that falls short of the verifiable disarmament demanded by its neighbors and the United States. Rice also thanked South Korea for sticking to plans to send troops to Iraq and winded up a short Asian tour with talks that covered the two countries' alliance and North Korea's nuclear arms.