Nine more North Koreans have made their way past tight security to enter the South Korean consulate in Beijing, where eight North Koreans already seeking asylum.

Two other North Koreans are being sheltered by the Canadian embassy in the Chinese capital.

Recent successful asylum bids will encourage others

A family of five, including two teenagers, are among the latest asylum seekers, who scaled a 1.7-metre (5 feet 7 inch) high fence to enter the diplomatic compound on Tuesday.

It is the latest in a flurry of attempts by North Koreans to flee to the South after seeking refuge in foreign missions in Beijing.

The BBC's correspondent in Beijing, Rupert Wingfield-Hayes, says that with news seeping back into north-east China - home to many more North Korean refugees - and to North Korea itself, the Chinese authorities are now terrified that the steady stream of asylum seekers could turn into a flood.

Tensions

"We hope the North Koreans will be allowed to go to South Korea as they wish," a South Korea spokesman told AFP news agency.

China has insisted that Seoul hand the asylum seekers over, but South Korea says they will only be handed over if they are then allowed to travel to Seoul.

"China will continue to handle the case in accordance with international law, domestic law and in a humanitarian spirit," Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Liu Jianchao told reporters on Tuesday, although he said he had no information on the latest influx of asylum seekers.

But while the international community considers foreign missions sovereign territory of the countries they represent, China does not recognise the right of people to seek asylum at a foreign embassy.

High-profile North Korean escapes to South via China

June 2001 - Family of seven who sheltered in UN office in Beijing March 2002 - 25 people who entered Spain's Beijing embassy May 2002 - Five people from US and Canadian diplomatic sites May 2002 - Five relatives taken by Chinese police from Japanese consulate

A further complicating factor is that, according to a treaty which China holds with Communist ally North Korea, Beijing should send the asylum seekers back.

But it has been reluctant to do so once the asylum bids have become publicly known.

At least 38 North Koreans have succeeded in leaving Beijing for the South, via a third country, in the last three months.

Diplomatically sensitive

The Canadians say they are negotiating for the two men who slipped into their embassy on Sunday to be allowed to leave China.

But seeking refuge in the South Korean embassy rather than other foreign compounds is more diplomatically sensitive.

Correspondents say such incidents will pressure China into choosing whether to offend North or South Korea.