Up to 13 people have died after a bus carrying tourists collided with a tanker truck in rainy weather, according to local media.
A highway police official said one foreigner appeared to be among those confirmed dead.
In the confusing moments shortly after the crash, South Korean television reported earlier as many as 18 foreigners were feared dead.
The tanker truck and the bus crashed head-on in rainy weather in North Chungchong Province in central Korea at around 3:30 p.m. (7:30 a.m. Irish time), YTN news channel said.
Around 20 passengers were seriously injured and were taken to hospital, YTN said. Identities and nationalities of the passengers were not immediately available, it said.
Other television stations and local media had similar reports.
Thousands of foreign tourists are visiting South Korea as it co-hosts the World Cup soccer finals from May 31st to June 30th.
One highway police official said the crash involved several vehicles.
"We're trying to find out what happened, but there are few details right now," he said.