Anchor: North Korea has arrested two South Korean citizens on accusations of spying on the communist regime. The North’s state-run media broadcasted a news conference on Thursday in which the suspects appear to confess. The South Korean government, however, has called the accusations nonsense and demanded the men be immediately repatriated to the South.
Our Park Jong-hong has the latest.
 
Report: North Korean is claiming that it arrested two South Korean men on charges of spying for the South's state intelligence agency.
 
Pyongyang’s state-run media on Thursday carried a news conference where the two, identified as Kim Kuk-gi and Choe Chun-gil, said they were involved in spying activities for the South Korean National Intelligence Service (NIS).
 
[Sound bite: Kim Kuk-gi (news conference, Mar. 26 / Korean)]
"[My role was to] systematically collect key state credential information related to the nation’s highest leadership and provide it to the NIS.”
[Sound bite: Choe Chun-gil (news conference, Mar. 26 / Korean)]
"I was taken by NIS staff Kim as a spy and was treated as Mr. Koh.”

The North branded Kim and Choe as vicious terrorists who were under orders from the spy agencies of South Korea and the United States to assassinate the North's highest authorities.
 
The North said it will harshly judge foreigners who engage in spying for money.

The South has confirmed the two as Korean citizens but denied the North's accusations.

Seoul’s Unification Ministry spokesman Lim Byeong-cheol told reporters Friday that North Korea is making nonsense allegations.

[Sound bite: Unification Ministry Spokesman Lim Byeong-cheol (Korean)]
“North Korea’s actions directly go against not only international customs but also the universal values of human rights and humanitarianism.”

Calling the North's move regrettable, the South Korean spokesman urged the North to release the citizens immediately and repatriate them to the South.
 
Lim also demanded the North guarantee their safety, the necessary accommodations and their right to counsel.  
Park Jong-hong, KBS World Radio News