The Foreign Ministry says it is trying to confirm reports that a North Korean who entered the U.S. Consulate in Vladivostok last week is seeking asylum from his Stalinist homeland.

A ministry official said Monday that Seoul is consulting with Washington to confirm whether the purported North Korean who entered the U.S. mission in the Far East port city last Friday is indeed seeking asylum.

The official also denied some media reports that the process of confirming the man's identity was facing difficulties as Washington had been delaying contact with Seoul on the matter.

Last week, Japan's Mainichi Shimbun newspaper said a man who identified himself as a North Korean national dashed into the U.S. mission in Vladivostok. Shortly after the paper broke the story, the U.S. Consulate confirmed the report.