ANKARA

South Korean authorities on Tuesday held 22 Chinese nationals suspected of attempting to illegally enter the coastal city of Boryeong by boat, Yonhap news agency reported.

Coast Guard officials arrived at the scene after receiving information by military authorities, and caught 21 of the nationals near the port, while one of them fled, who was later held in Ansan, 29 kilometers south of Seoul.

The boat, which left South Korea's territorial waters, is believed to have come from China's eastern port city of Weihai, and authorities have sent a request to Chinese counterparts for cooperation.

A Coast Guard official was quoted as saying that investigation has yet to take place as authorities were first conducting a probe into the possibility of espionage.

*Writing by Islamuddin Sajid