Four people believed to be North Korean asylum-seekers are being detained in China. The three women and one man were caught Monday after forcing their way into the South Korean consulate in Qingdao in northeastern China.

The Foreign Ministry said that the group, presumed to be family members, dashed into the consulate as security guards at the mission opened the door of the office on Monday morning.

A ministry official said that the Chinese guards, privately hired by the consulate, demanded the intruders identify themselves. When their queries went unanswered, the guards turned the intruders over to Chinese police authorities.

The official said that if the members of the group are identified as North Korean defectors wishing to come to the South, the Foreign Ministry would ask Qingdao city authorities to hand them over to the South Korean government.

Meanwhile, a man who claims to be the husband of one of the women in detention told Seoul-based Yonhap News Agency that South Korean consulate officials did nothing when the group sought help while being hustled away by Chinese security.