WASHINGTON, July 10 (Xinhua) -- The Obama administration on Friday called on the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) to grant amnesty to two female American journalists who were sentenced to 12 years in prison for "hostile actions" against the country.

File photo shows the two U.S. women reporters held by the DPRK. (Xinhua/AFP Photo) Photo Gallery>>>

    "The two journalists and their families have expressed great remorse for this incident, and I think everyone is very sorry that it happened," Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton said.

    The DPRK's highest court has sentenced the two journalists, who were captured for allegedly crossing the border from China and committing "hostile actions" against the country, to 12 years of what it calls "reform through labor."

    "What we hope for now is that these two young women would be granted amnesty through the North Korean system and be allowed to return home to their families as soon as possible," said the state secretary.

    Clinton's remarks came after the two journalists, Laura Ling and Euna Lee, admitted they had violated the DPRK's law.

    Earlier this week, Laura was allowed to phone her sister Lisa in California. Lisa later told reporters that her sister conveyed "a very specific message" that Euna and she had violated the DPRK's law and they need the administration's help.

    Following the sentence, the Obama administration has been trying to get the two journalists released by diplomatic channel, mainly Swedish Ambassador in Pyongyang Mats Foyer, whose country has diplomatic relations with the DPRK and offers services to U.S. citizens in the country.

    "Clearly our bottom line is what it has always been, that we hope to have these two journalists released as rapidly as possible," State Department spokesman Philip Crowley told reporters at the daily press briefing.

    "There has been a legal process in North Korea. Within the North Korean system, we would hope that there would be an amnesty that would allow that release to take place," said the spokesman. 

Two American journalists sentenced in DPRK

    PYONGYANG, June 8 (Xinhua) -- The Central Court of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) sentenced two American journalists to 12 years of reform through labor, the official Korean Central News Agency reported on Monday.

    The trial of American journalists Laura Ling and Seung-eun Lee was held from June 4 to 8, the report said. Full story

Trial of American journalists to begin: KCNA

    PYONGYANG, June 4 (Xinhua) -- The Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) started a trial of American journalists Laura Ling and Seung-eun Lee at 3 p.m. (0600 GMT) Thursday on the basis of the indictment already brought against them, the official KCNA said.

    The journalists, Seung-eun Lee, a Korean-American, and Laura Ling, a Chinese-American, were detained before dawn on March 17 along the row Tumen River, which marks the border with China.  Full story

Clinton welcomes DPRK setting trial date for U.S. journalists

    WASHINGTON, May 14 (Xinhua) -- The Obama administration on Thursday welcomed the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) setting a trial date for two U.S. journalists.

    "We believe (it) is a signal that there can be and I hope will be a resolution as soon as possible," Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton told reporters, referring to the DPRK statement of having set June 4 as the trial date for the two journalists, who were arrested in March near the Chinese-DPRK border.  Full story