The United States said Thursday that a delay over the transfer of disputed money to the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) was "a technical issue."

"This is not an issue of American unwillingness," White House spokesman Tony Snow told reporters. "It's a technical issue."

The spokesman did not explain what the technical issue is. Instead, he said the Bush administration hoped that the problem would not slow the six-party talks which was designed to solve nuclear issues on the Korean peninsula.

Snow made the remarks after the six round of six-party talks, which involved China, the DPRK, the United States, the Republic of Korea, Japan and Russia, recessed on Thursday.

The latest six-party talks were aimed at discussing specific steps in the initial phase of the Feb. 13 deal, in which the DPRK agreed to shut down the Yongbyon nuclear facility in return for energy aid.

The DPRK insisted that resolving the BDA (Banco Delta Asia) frozen fund issue is a prerequisite for starting other negotiations.

The United States on March 19 agreed to transfer DPRK's 25 million U.S. dollars frozen at Macao-based Banco Delta Asia (BDA) to a DPRK account at the Bank of China in Beijing.

Top Chinese envoy to the six-party talks Wu Dawei said Thursday that the transfer of DPRK's funds is an unexpected problem, and all sides are striving to find a solution.

Source: Xinhua