XI'AN - Ten members of a 19-strong party of Chinese that went missing after entering the Republic of Korea (ROK) at the end of last year have been found and returned home, local authorities said Monday.

While one of the 10 men is suspected of coordinating the human trafficking of the group from his base in the ROK, the rest came from northwest China's Shaanxi Province -- three from Chang'an District of provincial capital Xian, and six from Huxian County, police told Xinhua.

All the 10 have been placed under investigation while search work for the nine who remain missing is ongoing, police said.

The 19 travelers, all males, are from two counties in Shaanxi and Xi'an.

They departed from northeast China's port city of Dalian on December 28 and arrived in Inchon in the ROK on December 29. They went missing on the second day after staying at a hotel in Inchon for the night.

Shaanxi Tourism Bureau said in a previous statement that the group had not registered with local tourism authorities in Shaanxi.