Some 110 South Korean students are being held by local authorities in the Philippines for allegedly studying without permits.

The Foreign Ministry in Seoul said Thursday that Philippine immigration authorities cracked down on English language institutes in Manila between January seventh and 12th after receiving tips that South Korean students were studying at such institutes without permits.

Authorities have seized the passports of the Korean students, most of whom are in elementary or middle school.

Authorities have also detained and are questioning 14 managers of such institutes, including a man identified by his surname Lee.

The managers are suspected of violating Philippine immigration laws by operating the English facilities without proper permission.

The South Korean Embassy in Manila has dispatched a consular representative to the center where the managers are being detained. The embassy has also requested that immigration authorities launch swift investigations into the matter.