Senior presidential security aide Seo Joo-seok said that the government is working on ways to bring North Korea to the negotiating table.

South Korea and the U.S. recently agreed to devise what they called “common comprehensive approaches” on the North Korean issue.

Asked whether these measures are enough to get the North back into talks, Seo said in a KBS radio interview Tuesday that Seoul is preparing measures to prompt Pyongyang's return as the issue is of paramount importance.

He also said that South Korea will discuss the issue with the U.S. and Japan this week and next week. He expects that it won't take them long to come up with detailed measures to ease the deadlock.

The senior presidential aide said that North Korea will also be a top priority at the South Korean-Chinese summit slated for next month.

Seo, however, did not rule out the possibility of Washington slapping sanctions on Pyongyang before the comprehensive approaches are devised.