Originally published by the Voice of America (www.voanews.com).
Voice of America is funded by the US Federal Government and content it
exclusively produces is in the public domain.
March 22, 2009

Report: Detained US Reporters Likely in Pyongyang
-------------------------------------------------

http://enews.voanews.com/t?ctl=230D2BC:A6F02AD83191E16052CC9A3EA7406538D937473925D9872C&
 
North's official news agency says Americans were taken into custody
Tuesday while crossing the North Korea-China border 
A news report said Sunday that it is likely North Korea has sent two
American journalists detained last week to the capital of Pyongyang for
interrogation. Chinese border guards try to stop their picture from
being taken along Tumen river in China's Jilin province across from N.
Korean border, 21 Mar 2009South Korea's Yonhap news agency quotes
sources in China as saying that, considering the significance of the
case, it is very likely the two will be questioned by North Korea's
security and military agencies. South Korean officials did not confirm
the report. The North's official news agency, KCNA, said Saturday the
Americans were taken into custody Tuesday while crossing the North
Korea-China border. It said the matter is under investigation. South
Korean media reports said Laura Ling and Euna Lee were detained with
their Chinese guide near the Tumen River, along North Korea's border
with China. In Washington, a State Department official said the United
States has contacted North Korea about the matter through its mission to
the United Nations in New York. The official says Secretary of State
Hillary Clinton is very involved in the case. The journalists were
reported to be working on a story on North Korean refugees, many of whom
try to escape the country by crossing the river into China. The two were
said to have ignored warnings from North Korean guards to stop filming.
Reports say a fourth person escaped arrest. Ling and Lee were working
for an online news company, Current TV, that is based in the western
U.S. state of California. Current TV was co-founded by former U.S. Vice
President Al Gore. The incident comes at a sensitive time for U.S.-North
Korean relations, with the communist state preparing what it calls a
satellite launch early next month. The U.S. and South Korea say the
launch is a cover for a test of the North's longest-range missile. Some
information for this report was provided by AFP and AP.


.