Seoul - North Korea's highest court on Thursday was to try two US journalists accused of entering the country illegally as the Stalinist state faces international criticism over its nuclear test and missile launches. The trial of Chinese-American Laura Ling and Korean-American Euna Lee is to is to begin at 3 pm (0600 GMT), "on the basis of the indictment already brought against them," a statement by the North's Korean Central News Agency said.
North Korea decided to put the women on trial for alleged illegal entry and "hostile acts," the state-run media said.
No other details about the case against the two women were released.
The pair was arrested March 17 at the Chinese-North Korean border, where they were working on a story for the online broadcaster Current TV, which was co-founded by former US vice president Al Gore.
They were reportedly researching a story on North Korean refugees at the Tumen River separating the two countries. The details of their arrest by North Korean border guards remained unclear.
If found guilty of illegal entry, which according to observers seems highly likely, the two women face several years in prison and a sentence of up to 10 years of forced labour if found guilty of "crimes" against North Korea.
North Korean observers have speculated that the regime in Pyongyang wants to use the detained journalists as a way to win concessions in potential negotiations with the United States.
The United States at the moment is debating with other UN Security Council members on how to punish North Korea for its May 25 nuclear test, which was internationally condemned.
US efforts to win Lee and Ling's release have so far failed.
Washington does not have formal diplomatic relations with Pyongyang.
