The Coast Guard apprehended 22 Chinese nationals Tuesday suspected of attempting to illegally enter a western coastal city by boat, officials said.

The Boryeong Coast Guard Station detained 21 people on board an unidentified vessel anchored off the coast of Boryeong, South Chungcheong Province. A 57-year-old man who fled the scene was arrested in a house in Ansan, Gyeonggi Province, some 110 km north of Boryeong.

The group of Chinese nationals, known to be around their 40s, faces charges of attempting to flee after the vessel carrying them illegally docked at a port in Boryeong, 140 kilometers south of Seoul, at 1:53 a.m., according to the officials.

Coast Guard officials arrived at the scene after being tipped off by military authorities on the unidentified boat approaching waters near the coastal city.

The Coast Guard is also chasing the vessel, which fled toward China and conducting an investigation into the detained 21 Chinese nationals.

"We have so far confirmed that these are all Chinese nationals who departed from China," a Coast Guard official in Boryeong said. "We are investigating the exact location of their departure and the details of their illegal entry." (Yonhap)