Seven North Korean escapees who entered the Thai Embassy in Hanoi Wednesday have requested asylum in South Korea.

In Bangkok, Thai Foreign Minister Kantathi Suphamongkhon told reporters Thursday that the three men and four women had asked to be resettled in South Korea.

The minister added that the group will remain under the care of the embassy until the Thai government verifies whether the seven really are North Korean nationals.

Suphamongkhon also said his government is consulting with South Korea, Vietnam and France to deal with the matter.

Early on Wednesday morning, the group walked into the embassy building in Hanoi during lunchtime without being stopped by guards.

The incident is not the first of its kind in Vietnam. Last December, six North Koreans sought asylum at the French and Swedish embassies in Hanoi.