Detained U.S. journalists sent to Pyongyang: sources

BEIJING, March 22 (Yonhap) -- North Korea has likely sent two U.S. journalists
who were detained in a border region last week to Pyongyang for questioning,
sources here said Sunday.
A day earlier, the North's Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) confirmed two U.S.
female journalists were detained by border guards March 17 for allegedly
"illegally intruding the territory of the DPRK (North Korea) by crossing the
DPRK-China border."
The KCNA also said in the two-sentence report that "a competent organ is now
investigating the case."
The U.S. State Department said Friday that Washington is negotiating with North
Korea for their release. The journalists -- Euna Lee, a Korean-American, and
Laura Ling, a Chinese-American -- from Current TV, an American Internet outlet,
were taken by North Korean soldiers near the Tumen River while filming the North
Korean side.
"Considering the gravity of the issue, it is very likely the two U.S. female
journalists have been transferred to Pyongyang," one of the sources told Yonhap.
Investigation is likely underway by the North's military or its intelligence
agency, the National Security Agency, sources said.
The sources said it is highly unusual for North Korea's state media to report on
such a detention case. They also noted that hours after the detention, Pyongyang
had told Washington it would reject further food aid from the U.S. government.
North Korea may try to use the detention case for leverage in negotiations with
the U.S., they said.
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