North Korea jails US journalists

The reporters were held while working on the China-North Korea border

A court in North Korea has sentenced two US journalists to 12 years' hard labour, state media say.

Euna Lee and Laura Ling were found guilty of "hostile acts" and illegal entry into the communist state.

They were arrested in March after allegedly crossing into North Korea from China.

The US said it was "deeply concerned" by the sentence and called for the release of the two women on humanitarian grounds.

The trial comes amid growing tensions over North Korea's nuclear programme.

"The trial confirmed the grave crime they [the reporters] committed against the Korean nation and their illegal border crossing as they had already been indicted and sentenced each of them to 12 years of reform through labour," state-run KCNA news agency said in a brief report.

The news agency gave no further details.

Outside observers were not allowed to witness the hearing at Pyongyang's court.

The verdict means that the journalists face the prospect of spending years in one of the North's prison camps, where conditions are reported to be extremely harsh, the BBC's Chris Hogg in Seoul says.

'Bargaining chips'

In a statement, the US State Department said: "We are deeply concerned by the reported sentencing of the two American citizen journalists by North Korean authorities, and we are engaged through all possible channels to secure their release."

Euna Lee and Laura Ling were arrested by North Korean guards on 17 March while working on the China-North Korea border on a story about refugees for California-based internet broadcaster Current TV.

Some reports have suggested that the women were held while on Chinese soil, but Pyongyang's state media say they had illegally entered North Korea.

The pair have been held in detention since their arrest.

There are fears they will now be used as "bargaining chips" by North Korean leader Kim Jong-il in his efforts to win concessions from Washington, our correspondent says.

The women's families have appealed for clemency and asked Pyongyang and Washington not to link the case to the current diplomatic stand-off between them.