North Korea said the trial for two U.S. journalists will begin at three p.m. Thursday at the North's Central Court.

The North's official Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) said earlier on Thursday that the court will try Laura Ling and Lee Seung-eun on the basis of the indictment already brought against them.

It is extremely rare for the North to publicly announce a trial date and time for any of its court cases.

The trial for the two reporters is expected to end Thursday as trials in North Korea usually end on the day of trial. Since the case is tried at the North's Central Court, there will be no possibility of an appeal.

The two journalists, Laura Ling and Euna Lee, referred to by her Korean name in the KCNA report, are working with San Francisco-based Current TV.

They were taken into custody by the North along its border with China on March 17th while they were shooting a documentary. Pyongyang says the two will be tried for unspecified “hostile acts.”