Two South Koreans have been arrested in Nepal on charges of having been involved with a North Korean who has gone missing there.

The Foreign Ministry in Seoul said that it is trying to have officials of the South Korean Embassy in Nepal contact the arrested South Koreans to find out the circumstances surrounding their arrest.

A ministry official said that the arrested South Koreans could not be identified due to safety concerns.

Japan’s Kyodo news agency earlier quoted the Nepalese daily “Republica” as saying that the North Korean, presumed to be a spy, was granted asylum in New Delhi before the two South Koreans were arrested.