A Foreign Ministry official says U.S. President George W. Bush wants North Korean leader Kim Jong-il to "trust" Washington in nuclear negotiations.

The remarks come after U.S. National Security Advisor Condoleezza Rice met South Korean leaders in Seoul on Friday.

During her stop in Seoul on the final leg of her Asian tour, Rice was quoted as saying that North Korea would be surprised at how much will be possible if it abandons its nuclear programs.

A senior foreign ministry official said Rice expressed hope that North Korean leader Kim Jong-il will follow the footsteps of Libyan leader Moammar Gadhafi, a former U.S. enemy which has normalized ties with Washington after giving up its nuclear ambitions.

Reports in Seoul say that corresponding compensations that will follow the North's nuclear dismantlement include energy aid, a potential multilateral security guarantee and erasing the Stalinist state from Washington's list of terrorism-supporting nations. Washington is also reportedly willing to remove economic sanctions and normalize diplomatic ties with Pyongyang.

The official said Ban had also repeatedly urged North Korean leaders at the Asia Region Forum earlier in the month to abandon its nuclear programs and to have faith in Washington's pledge that it will not attack the North.