Five North Koreans seeking asylum - Indonesia

JAKARTA, Aug 24 (Reuters) Five North Koreans who entered the Indonesian embassy in Hanoi earlier this week were seeking asylum in a third country, the Indonesian foreign ministry said today.

Four women and one man scaled the fence of the embassy on Tuesday, carrying a piece of paper saying they wanted to go to ''free countries''.

''During an interview, they told us they wanted to be transferred to a third country,'' foreign ministry spokesman Desra Percaya told a news conference. He declined to name the country the North Koreans wanted to go to.

The five would be allowed to remain at the embassy pending ''a resolution acceptable to all parties involved'', Percaya said.

A number of North Koreans have taken refuge in European and Asian embassies in Hanoi in recent years, seeking permanent asylum in South Korea.

Last month, four North Koreans climbed a fence into the Danish embassy in Hanoi to seek asylum in South Korea.

A South Korean government official said it was aware of the case.

''We cannot confirm other details, such as their identities.

We will try our best to bring them to South Korea, if that is what they are seeking,'' said the official More than 10,000 North Korean defectors have made their way to South Korea, where they are almost always granted citizenship.

Human rights workers say North Korean refugees often slip into China, then travel overland to Southeast Asia hoping to eventually reach South Korea.

Vietnam tries to maintain good ties with both Koreas. South Korea is an important investor and Vietnam sends food aid to North Korea.

In 2004, an airlift by Seoul of 468 North Koreans from Vietnam infuriated Pyongyang. Six months later, South Korea announced it would never attempt a large-scale refugee rescue again.

Indonesia has also traditionally maintained good ties with both Koreas.

REUTERS SKB RAI1215