The United States called on North Korea to release the two American journalists who are facing criminal charges in the Stalinist state, dpa reported.
"We continue to call on the North Koreans to release the two Americans so they can be returned to their families," State Department acting spokesman Robert Wood said.
North Korea announced Friday the two journalists, Korean-American Euna Lee and Chinese-American Laura Ling, will face charges of "hostile acts," including illegally entering the country across the Chinese border.
The two woman were arrested near the border March 17 while working for the news channel Current TV, which was co-founded by former vice president Al Gore.
The United States was working for their release through the Swedish embassy in Pyongyang. The United States and North Korea do not have formal diplomatic relations.