The US said Thursday that a delay over the transfer of disputed money to North Korea 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 aiming to solve the Korean Peninsula nuclear issue.

Snow made the remarks after the six round of six-party talks, which involved China, the US, Japan, Russia, North and South Korea, recessed on Thursday.

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

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

The US on March 19 agreed to transfer North Korea's US$25 million frozen at Macao-based BDA to a North Korean account at the Bank of China in Beijing.

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

(Xinhua News Agency March 23, 2007)