The South Korean government is urging China to allow a South Korean activist detained by Chinese authorities access to his lawyer.

The Foreign Ministry made a formal request to the Chinese consul general in Seoul on Wednesday after Beijing said it would not permit the interview according to domestic laws.

Kim Young-hwan and three other South Koreans were arrested on charges of threatening China's national security in late March. They reportedly assisted North Korean defectors there.

Seoul also asked that a representative from the consulate in Shenyang be allowed to speak to all four activists. The consulate has only so far spoken to Kim.