North Korea has assured the United States that two detained American journalists are safe.

State Department spokesman Robert Wood told reporters Wednesday that Pyongyang has guaranteed Laura Ling and Euna Kim, reporters for the online media outlet Current TV, will be well treated.

Wood said the U.S. has formally requested through the Swedish Embassy in Pyongyang that the Swedish government be provided with consular access to the female journalists.

Asked about media reports that the two reporters are facing espionage charges, Wood said U.S. officials have seen the reports and are aware of the claims. He added that the only statement Pyongyang has conveyed to Washington is that the two reporters crossed the border into the North illegally.

They were caught Tuesday last week near the Chinese-North Korean border while reporting on North Korean women who fled to China.