AP is reporting that two American reporters from former Vice President Al Gore’s Current TV have been detained in North Korea for filming.

Laura Ling and Euna Lee were taken into custody along with their Chinese guide while reporter Mitch Koss apparently evaded arrest. Laura Ling is sister of Lisa Ling, former “View” co-host and current host on “Explorer.”

Laura Lee reports:

U.S. officials expressed concern to North Korean officials about the reported detentions and said they were working with the Chinese government to ascertain the whereabouts of the Americans.

“When you have two American citizens who are being held against their will, we want to find out all the facts and gain their release,” said State Department spokesman Robert A. Wood. U.S. officials also were in contact with Swedish diplomats in North Korea. Sweden’s Ambassador to Pyongyang, Mats Foyer, refused to say in an e-mail whether negotiations for the Americans’ release were under way. The U.S. does not have direct relations with North Korea, a communist country, and Sweden acts as its representative.Calls to North Korea’s mission to the United Nations in New York went unanswered Thursday.
In San Francisco, an employee of Current TV told reporters: “There will be no comment on the situation anytime today.”

I can’t really sum up what’s going on in North Korea, but I highly advise you to watch “The Vice Guide to North Korea.” Here’s part two, where VBS journalist Shane Smith explains what it’s like to try to get into North Korea to film (you go to China and bribe someone and then they come get you in the middle of night). Seriously, watch all of them — it won’t take you long.

You can takepart by checking out the Committee To Protect Journalists.