XI'AN - Nineteen Chinese tourists who went missing after entering the Republic of Korea (ROK) at the end of last year have been identified, local authorities said Sunday.

The tourists, all males, are from two counties in Northwest China's Shaanxi province and its capital city of Xi'an, respectively, sources with the provincial government said.

The tourists departed Northeast China's port city of Dalian on December 28 and arrived in Inchon in the ROK on December 29, according to reports released by the ROK's Yonhap news agency on Thursday.

The tourists went missing the second day after staying at a hotel in Inchon for the night, the reports said.

The Shaanxi Tourism Bureau said in a Saturday statement that the tourists had not registered with local tourism authorities in Shaanxi.

The Shaanxi provincial public security department has dispatched a team to look into the case.