The South Korean Consulate General in Ho Chi Minh City says a South Korean surnamed Yoo, who was helping North Korean defectors in Vietnam, has been arrested by the Vietnamese security police.

The Consulate General says Yoo was arrested Wednesday at a hotel in downtown Ho Chi Minh on charges of supporting North Korean escapees, and has since been under questioning.

He's believed to have been arrested with the North Koreans he was aiding in their defection to South Korea.

Yoo was banished from Vietnam back in July 2004 for assisting the transfer of some 400 North Korean escapees to South Korea. He's also believed to have been involved in similar activities in Laos in recent days.