The country's top diplomat says it's looking unlikely that the Beijing Winter Games will serve as an opportunity to improve inter-Korean relations.

Foreign Minister Chung Eui-yong made the statement in response to a reporter's question at a presser on Wednesday on a possible inter-Korean or South Korea-China summit around the Olympics in February.

The minister added that, nevertheless, the administration will exert all efforts to make use of every opportunity to seek improvements in cross-border ties and to swiftly resume the peace process on the Korean Peninsula.

While Chung emphasized that North Korea positively responded to the South's push to declare a formal end to the Korean War, he said the administration hopes Pyongyang will give a more concrete response in the future.

The minister said Seoul has yet to receive a formal position from the North through ally China.