Hong Kong police have stepped up security measures at the South Korean Consulate after a North Korean defector with a military background approached it recently seeking political asylum, local media reported Wednesday.
The consulate sought help from the local government, which has arranged for a police anti-terrorism squad to provide it with round-the-clock protection, the Apple Daily newspaper quoted unidentified sources as saying.
Armed officers have set up surveillance posts in and around the commercial building that houses the consulate, located in the Central district, the report said.
Television broadcaster TVB said the North Korean entered Hong Kong legally.
China's Foreign Ministry was reportedly notified of the issue.
Hong Kong police and South Korean consular officials had no comment, while a staffer who answered the phone at the North Korean Consulate said he was unaware of the report. "I don't know," he said before hanging up.