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| Version 1 | Version 2 |
|---|---|
| Reporters 'admit' N Korea entry | Reporters 'admit' N Korea entry |
| (31 minutes later) | |
| Two US journalists who were jailed last week in North Korea have admitted entering the country illegally, according to state news agency KCNA. | Two US journalists who were jailed last week in North Korea have admitted entering the country illegally, according to state news agency KCNA. |
| Laura Ling and Euna Lee "admitted and accepted" their sentences, KCNA said. | Laura Ling and Euna Lee "admitted and accepted" their sentences, KCNA said. |
| The two women were given jail terms of 12 years' hard labour, after being found guilty of crossing into North Korea from the Chinese border in March. | |
| KCNA also said they had admitted getting footage for a "smear campaign" about North Korea's human rights. | KCNA also said they had admitted getting footage for a "smear campaign" about North Korea's human rights. |
| The women's families have always claimed that Lee, 36, and Ling, 32, had no intention of crossing into North Korea. | |
| They fear the two reporters may become political pawns in negotiations between Washington and Pyongyang, amid growing tensions over North Korea's nuclear programme and recent missile tests. | |
| 'Criminal acts' | |
| Euna Lee, a Korean-American, and Laura Ling, a Chinese-American, were arrested by North Korean guards on 17 March while filming a video about refugees for California-based internet broadcaster Current TV. | |
| They were detained in Pyongyang, and on 8 June they were found guilty of "hostile acts" and illegal entry into North Korea. | |
| "The accused admitted that what they did were criminal acts... prompted by the political motive to isolate and stifle the socialist system of the DPRK [North Korea]," KCNA said on Tuesday, giving its first details about the women's alleged crimes. | |
| The news agency added that the pair had crossed the border "for the purpose of making animation files to be used for an anti-DPRK smear campaign over its human rights issue". | |
| US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton has described the charges against the two women as "baseless". She is thought to be considering sending an envoy to try to negotiate their release. | |
| But supporters of Ling and Lee are concerned that their plight will be exacerbated by worsening relations between North Korea and the US. | |
| Tensions have increased in the region since North Korea conducted a nuclear test in May and then test-fired several missiles. Another long-range missile test is believed to be planned for later this month. | |
| There are fears Lee and Ling will be used by North Korea to try to win concessions from Washington, such as humanitarian aid or direct talks. | |
| The US has so far said negotiations can only be held under the currently-stalled six-party talks on nuclear disarmament, which also include South Korea, China, Japan and Russia. |