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North Korea detains two US journalists accused of crossing border

By Bernard Hibbitts (editor) and University of Pittsburgh School of Law students.

[JURIST] Authorities in North Korea have detained two American journalists who allegedly crossed into the country from China, official news agency KCNA confirmed Saturday. Laura Ling and Euna Lee were reporting on North Korean refugees in China for Current TV when they allegedly crossed the border on Tuesday. US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton is reportedly involved in talks regarding the reporters. Current TV called for the release of the reporters, and the website's co-founder and former US vice president Al Gore reportedly asked Clinton to get involved. The incident comes at a sensitive time for international relations with North Korea, as the nation has refused to fully disclose its past nuclear activity. The US removed North Korea from the State Department's list of terror sponsors in October after former president George W. Bush agreed to the step following the communist state's handover of a report on its nuclear program to China, one of the countries participating in the so-called Six Party Talks on the North Korean program. In February 2007, North Korea agreed to end its nuclear weapons program, shut down and seal any reactors, and completely declare the extent of its nuclear activities in exchange for 50,000 tons of heavy fuel. North Korea has ranked among the countries with the least protection for press freedoms.

Full post as published by JURIST - The Paper Chase on March 22, 2009 (boomark / email).