Some 80 North Korean escapees who secretly entered Thailand have reportedly applied for asylum in the United States.

Radio Free Asia (RFA) says that the escapees filed the request after being granted refugee status by the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees.

In an interview with RFA, Pastor Lee Hee-moon of the U.S.-based North Korean Freedom Coalition quoted a senior U.S. State Department official as saying that some 80 North Koreans held at a Thai immigration center are waiting for a response from Washington.

Human rights activist Sam Kim, who heads the U.S.-based Jericho Institute, was also quoted as saying that the cases of 30 to 40 North Korean escapees are being reviewed by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security.