Some 110 Korean youngsters have been detained in the Philippines after being caught without a study permit. A Korean Foreign Ministry official said on Thursday the youngsters, who were on an English language study program in Manila, were caught in a crackdown last week and their passports have been confiscated. They are in the custody of a Korean chaperone.

Philippine authorities also arrested eight Korean staff at a language school, including a man identified by his surname Lee who arranged the study program. The adults have been sent to a detention facility for foreigners and are being charged with violating Philippine immigration laws by operating the language program without the necessary permit.

The Foreign Ministry plans to dispatch a consul from the embassy in Manila to the Philippine immigration office to verify the charges and discuss ways to bring the children back to Korea.