South Korean residents in Egypt have begun to flee the country amid violent antigovernment protests there that have claimed numerous lives.

Some 150 died during clashes between protestors and the police, and thousands of inmates have also escaped from prison.

As extreme chaos grips the nation, some 80 South Korean businesspeople left Egypt on Sunday for Seoul or other nations.

Some one-thousand ethnic Korean residents there haven't reported any damage yet, but as the situation worsens, many are considering fleeing.

The South Korean Embassy says it is prepared to evacuate them on chartered planes, should the move be deemed necessary.

The protestors are calling for an end to the 30-year rule of President Hosni Mubarak.