The sister of a US journalist released from North Korea has admitted that she and her colleague illegally stepped onto North Korea soil.
Laura Ling and Euna Lee were pardoned by North Korean leader Kim Jong il after a meeting with former US President Bill Clinton on Wednesday.
The women were arrested on the North Korea-China border in March and sentenced to 12 years hard labour for illegal entry.
Ling's sister, Lisa Ling, told CNN that Laura told her that she and Lee stepped briefly onto North Korean territory before their arrest.
They were reporting on the trafficking of women for a television network set up by former US Vice President Al Gore.
