S. Korea: Fund unfreezing moving slowly

SEOUL, May 23 (UPI) -- South Korea's foreign minister said Wednesday negotiations to free North Korean funds from a bank in Macao are moving slower than expected.

South Korean Foreign Minister Song Min-soon said the unfreezing of the funds, a major provision of a February deal regarding North Korea's nuclear program, is moving forward but at a slower pace than expected, Yonhap reported Wednesday.

"The process of resolving technical problems is moving toward the direction we are aiming at, but its pace is not as fast as we had hoped," Song said.

Song said the process is moving forward, but "I think it is too early to say when it will be resolved."

He said he has spoken with U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice to discuss ways to resolve the issue.

North Korea is refusing to comply with the February agreement, which required the country to shut down its nuclear reactor in Yongbyon by April 14, until the funds are unfrozen.