President Roh Moo-hyun says Pyongyang is likely to scrap its nuclear arms development program if it's provided with sufficient compensation.

Roh, who is currently in Brazil, made the remarks in an interview with a Brazilian daily in Seoul, prior to departing for the South American country.

In the interview published on Wednesday, the president said he does not agree with some hardliners who argue that Pyongyang is unwilling to renounce its nuclear ambitions and only trying to buy time to make nuclear weapons.

He also accused the North of trying to use its participation in dialogue itself as a bargaining chip, saying that such an attitude is not helpful since trust is the most important factor in negotiations.

Roh also anticipated the prompt resumption of six-party nuclear discussions and vowed to exert efforts to normalize inter-Korean relations.