Two US journalists detained in North Korea are to face trial on charges of illegal entry and hostile acts, a state-run news agency has reported.
Euna Lee, a Korean-American, and Laura Ling, a Chinese-American, were seized along the Chinese border on March 17. The two journalists were working for Current TV, an online media company run by Al Gore, the former US vice-president, when they were detained.
"The illegal entry of US reporters into the DPRK [Democratic People's Republic of Korea] and their suspected hostile acts have been confirmed by evidence and their statements," the Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) said on Tuesday.
| So the 'smart diplomacy' that Bambi brought to Washington hasn't unclenched the Nork fists ... |
The KCNA report did not specify what was meant by "hostile acts" and did not say when they might appear in court. "The organ is carrying on its investigation and, at the same time, making a preparation for indicting them at a trial on the basis of the already confirmed suspicions," it said.
The US said on Monday that a Swedish envoy acting on behalf of Washington had visited the two journalists, but gave no details of their condition.
| Were the two reporters just being stoopid when they were captured, or were they lured over to the Nork side of the border? It's an awfully convenient time for the Norks to pinch two Americans. |
|