A Korean teenager who went missing in Turkey is suspected to have joined the Islamic State militant group.

News reports said Tuesday that the Korean boy had been driven by a local man to a town near the Syrian border.

According to the Korean government, the boy surnamed Kim arrived in Istanbul, Turkey, on Jan. 8 and disappeared two days later.

“We cannot determine anything at this point, nor can we rule out the possibility that (the boy) has joined the IS,” a Korean government official told reporters.

By Ro Ji-woong (jamesro@heraldcorp.com)