north korean confirms detentions

The North Korean government has officially confirmed that it's holding two American journalists, Laura Ling and Euna Lee of Current TV, for allegedly "illegally intruding" on its territory. The two were arrested March 17 after crossing the border with China: North Korea confirms it detained 2 US reporters.

The two reporters were in the border area with a male cameraman and their guide as part of a reporting assignment on North Korean refugees. They were headed to the Chinese city of Yanji, across the border from North Korea's far northeastern corner, where they planned to interview women forced by human traffickers to strip for online customers.

According to the South Korean Chosun Ilbo, the journalists and cameraman Mitch Koss were following a guide across the frozen Tumen River when North Korean soldiers armed with rifles approached them from a half-hidden guard post. Koss and the guide pushed the North Korean soldiers away and ran back toward China, but Ling and Lee were caught.

So what is happening with this? A U.S. Embassy spokesman in Seoul said he had no further information. State Department officials said Washington is in contact with North Korea about the detentions. U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton "is engaged on this matter right now." In other words, we have no idea what is going on.

Let's continue to hope for their safe return.