North Korea Thursday set a June 4 trial date for two detained American journalists, further straining relations soured by its rocket launch and threatened nuclear test.

"The Central Court of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea decided to try American journalists on June 4 according to the indictment of the competent organ," the official Korean Central News Agency said.

The one-sentence report gave no details of the charges against the two women, who were detained on March 17 along the narrow Tumen River which marks the border with China.

The North has previously said they would go on trial for "hostile acts" and illegally entering the country. Their trial would be held "on the basis of the confirmed crimes committed by them," it has announced.

Euna Lee, a Korean-American, and Laura Ling, a Chinese-American, were working on a story about refugees fleeing the hardline communist North.

International rights and media freedom groups as well as Western politicians have urged Pyongyang to release the reporters, who are employed by Current TV in California.

US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton told reporters in Washington that the fact that the North Koreans had set a trial date was "a signal that there can be, and I hope there will be, a resolution" even though she dismissed the charges against the two women as "baseless".

Reporters Without Borders has said the women face up to 10 years' forced labour if convicted of "hostile acts".

The International Press Institute (IPI) media watchdog called for their release too.

"Iran's trial of Roxana Saberi was a farce, but at least the appellate court did the right thing in setting her free," David Dadge, director of the Vienna-based IPI, said in a statement.

"North Korea should avoid more political theatre and do the same with Euna Lee and Laura Ling, who are innocent victims of North Korea's desire to gain political leverage in its ongoing negotiations with the United States," he added.

Analysts also said Pyongyang is using the pair as a bargaining chip to open direct talks with Washington, and may be following the lead set by Tehran.

US-born reporter Roxana Saberi walked free from an Iranian jail on Monday after a court reduced her prison term for spying to a two-year suspended sentence, from the original eight years.

The case coincides with growing tensions between Pyongyang and Washington, after the North fired a long-range rocket on April 5 in what it called a satellite launch.

The United States and other nations say it staged a disguised missile test.

The United Nations condemned the launch and tightened existing sanctions, prompting the North to quit nuclear disarmament talks and announce it was restarting a programme to make weapons-grade plutonium.

It is threatening another nuclear test, following its first one in October 2006, unless the world body apologises.

Clinton said Thursday the US was not interested in making concessions to lure the North Koreans back to the talks.

"So the ball is in the North Korean court and we are not concerned about chasing after the North Koreans and offering concessions to North Korea. They know what their obligations are," Clinton told reporters.

"As Iran did, North Korea may try and release them through diplomatic contacts," said Cheong Seong-Chang of Seoul's Sejong Institute think-tank.

"North Korea may use such contacts for discussion on pending issues and demand Washington ease sanctions. It has been using the case as a bargaining chip."

Yang Moo-Jin, professor at Seoul's University of North Korean Studies, said the North is likely to impose severe punishment on the journalists.

"They are undergoing procedures similar to what happened to the US journalist held in Iran," he told AFP.

"Following the sentencing they might be pardoned, depending on the outcome of possible negotiations with Washington."

Pyongyang has publicly denied any interest in talking to the administration of US President Barack Obama, saying its policy is no better than that of its predecessor.

"The US hostile policy for invading the DPRK (North Korea) by force of arms still remains unchanged," ruling party newspaper Rodong Sinmun said Thursday.

Washington has no diplomatic ties with Pyongyang and the Swedish embassy has been acting on its behalf. But the last time the Swedish ambassador was able to see the women was on March 30.

earlier related report

US plans no concessions to lure NKorea back to talks

The United States is not interested in making concessions to lure the North Koreans back to six-party nuclear disarmament talks, Secretary of State Hillary Clinton said Thursday.

"We intend to have an open door for a return to the six-party talks and China, which is the chair, has made it clear as well to the North Koreans that they wish to see this begin again," Clinton told reporters.

"So the ball is in the North Korean court and we are not concerned about chasing after the North Koreans and offering concessions to North Korea. They know what their obligations are," added.

The United States has been involved in negotiations with the two Koreas, China, Japan and Russia aimed at scrapping North Korea's weapons-grade nuclear program in return for aid under a landmark agreement signed in 2007.

The negotiations deadlocked late last year over a dispute with North Korea over how to verify disarmament before taking a sharp turn for the worse with North Korea's launch of a long-range rocket on April 5.

The North about two weeks ago threatened to conduct a second nuclear test — after one staged in 2006 — and ballistic missile tests unless the United Nations Security Council apologized for condemning and punishing its rocket launch.

Pyongyang said it put a peaceful satellite into orbit but the United States, South Korea and Japan said it staged a disguised missile test.

Analysts suspect that North Korea is taking a hard line in a bid to open direct talks with the United States.

Days before the missile launch, Clinton's top envoy for North Korea, Stephen Bosworth, dismissed suggestions that North Korea had taken a tough stance because the United States was not using enough leverage to make it back down.

"Pressure is not the most productive line of approach. You have to combine pressure with incentives and I think we're in a position to begin doing that," he said without elaborating.

Bosworth also supported a return to one-on-one talks between North Korea and the United States, saying they may actually strengthen the broader six-party talks.

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