Kim Jong-un 'Sincere' About Denuclearization, Says Moon

President Moon Jae-in said Wednesday that North Korean leader Kim Jong-un is aware that the international community accuses him of "deception" or "buying time" with baby steps toward denuclearization.

Moon quoted the North Korean leader as saying during their latest summit, "What exactly would I gain by deceiving people and buying time? If I was indeed trying to deceive the United States, then I would face all mighty consequences, a great retaliation from the United States which North Korea would not be able to withstand. So I am asking for the international community to trust my sincerity."

Moon was speaking at the U.S. Council on Foreign Relations in New York.

Moon said that he believes the U.S. also trusts in Kim's sincerity, so efforts are continuing to realize a second U.S.-North Korea summit and achieve tangible results from the talks.

Kim "is young but he is also candid and he respects elders," Moon said. "He seems to have great aspirations to achieve economic development, so even without nuclear weapons, if the United States could provide the trust that they will offer security guarantees and also aid North Korean economic development, then I believe that Kim is very much prepared to abandon his nuclear program in exchange for economic development."