A senior presidential aide said Thursday that although a delay in transferring North Korean funds from Macao's Banco Delta Asia, or BDA, has stalled the six-party talks, it will not affect implementation of the agreement on initial steps for the North's nuclear dismantlement.

The official said that if the BDA issue is resolved to Pyongyang’s satisfaction, the parties can move forward on discussions of both the initial and next steps.

The official also noted that an inter-Korean summit is always an open option, saying that Seoul's basic position is that a summit is possible if it helps resolve the North Korean nuclear issue or substantially improves inter-Korean relations.

However, the official said, it is still too early to discuss a summit at present.