SEOUL: Eight out of 40 North Korean loggers who fled their jobs in Russia and took refuge in the South Korean embassy have finally arrived in Seoul, media reports said Wednesday.

Chosun Ilbo newspaper said the eight arrived on April 13 and are being interviewed by authorities. It cited a Seoul government official who declined to be named.

The remaining 32 are awaiting departure at the South's embassy in Moscow, it said.

Dong-A Ilbo newspaper said the eight spent between 18 months and two years in the diplomatic mission before arriving in Seoul.

The workers fled logging sites in Siberia due to hunger, cold and torture by North Korean agents sent to the Russian region to monitor them, it said.

South Korea's foreign ministry declined to confirm the reports, citing safety concerns for refugees and diplomatic sensitivities.

The communist North sends thousands of workers to construction, logging and other workplaces overseas to try to earn foreign currency.

Many are monitored by agents and much of what they make in earnings is confiscated by Pyongyang, according to media reports.