Two groups of North Koreans defectors have arrived in the South Korean capital Seoul.

A pair of youths, aged 16 and 17, who had taken refuge at the Canadian diplomatic mission in the Chinese capital, Beijing, landed at Seoul airport early on Monday.

Kim Chul and Kim Myong Chul arrived in Seoul after flying via Singapore.

South Korean embassy officials have tussled with Chinese police

Later they were followed by a group of 24 who flew in from Bangkok, after sheltering in South Korea's embassy in Beijing.

Their departure follows almost a month of negotiations between Chinese and South Korean diplomats.

Initially, China had demanded that the asylum-seekers be handed over for return to North Korea, saying they posed a security risk.

A total of 64 North Koreans have fled to the South this year via foreign diplomatic missions in Beijing and other cities.

Strained relations

Relations between Beijing and Seoul have been severely tested by the increasing number of North Koreans trying to gain asylum by entering foreign embassies in China.

China has a treaty with its North Korean ally requiring it to send refugees back to the hardline communist state.

The first of 21 asylum-seekers entered the South Korean visa office on 23 May and others followed alone or in small groups, despite a heavy Chinese security presence. The others managed to enter the South Korean embassy.

A North Korean arrested by Chinese police was also allowed to leave

A North Korean man who was taken into custody by Chinese authorities after being dragged out of the visa office on 13 June - and whose son was inside the visa office - has also been allowed to leave. That incident triggered a protest from South Korea.

News that the asylum-seekers would be allowed to leave came in a statement from the Chinese foreign ministry earlier on Sunday.

It said the North Koreans would be allowed to depart after authorities had verified their identities and ensured none had committed crimes within China.

South Korea "fully understood and accepted" China's demand that diplomatic offices should not be used as a channel for illegal immigration, the statement said.

Beijing's decision to let the latest group leave the country followed talks on the issue between Chinese Foreign Minister Tang Jiaxuan and his South Korean counterpart Choi Sung-hong in Thailand.