After days of silence, North Korea Saturday confirmed that two American journalists have been detained since earlier this week for illegally intruding into its territory, its official news outlet said.
The Korea Central News Agency said its authorities detained two Americans on March 17 while they were "illegally intruding the territory of the DPRK by crossing the DPRK-China border,” Yonhap reported Saturday. DPRK is the official name for North Korea, the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea.
The report came as two female reporters from Current TV, an American Cable outlet, were reportedly taken by North Korean soldiers along the Tumen River on the Chinese border while filming the North Korean side early this week.
U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton "is engaged in this matter right now," spokesman Robert Wood told reporters Friday. "There is a lot of diplomacy going on. There have been a number of contacts made."
“A relevant organ is now investigating the case," the North’s news agency said.
The U.S. State Department said Thursday in Washington that authorities will contact North Korea and China to secure the release of the two journalists.