The South Korean government has estimated that at least 100,000 of its citizens are living illegally in Canada.

The data was collected by Korea's diplomatic missions in Canada, according to a report prepared by the country's foreign ministry.

The report said at least 350,000 Koreans are living illegally in foreign countries but the Foreign Ministry has no policies to deal with the issue or to provide help for the emigrants.

Considering that illegal emigrants were reluctant to disclose their identity for fear of being deported by foreign governments, the number could easily be higher, the ministry added.

The most illegal emigrants--nearly 183,000--were in the United States, followed by Canada with some 100,000.

There are about 46,500 illegal emigrants in Japan and 10, 000 in the Philippines, the report said.

"The ministry does not know exactly why and how so many Koreans became illegal emigrants," said Kim Sun-dong, an official at the ministry's Overseas Residents and Emigration Division, according to a report in the Korea Herald.

She said the Foreign Ministry believed most Korean illegal emigrants left for foreign countries with short-term visas and then settled there because of economic difficulties or for other reasons.

Most illegal Korean emigrants are engaged in retail businesses or work in small factories, the entertainment business or restaurants owned by Koreans.

"We think most went abroad with visiting visas and decided to settle there to earn money during the short time or just cannot get back to Korea due to personal problems," Kim said.

The ministry collected details for its report from Korean embassies and consulates. A ministry official said the missions had been asked to investigate illegal Korean emigrants but did not know how the data was collected.

The ministry said it had no long-term policies to deal with the illegal emigrant issue.

"To contact the illegal emigrants abroad is very difficult because many illegal emigrants avoid reporting to the authorities due to fear of deportation.

How can Korean missions abroad get an exact number of illegal emigrants and set any policies" Kim asked.