SEOUL, South Korea (AP) - North Korea's official news agency says two Americans have been detained for illegally crossing its border and are under investigation.

The Korean Central News Agency says Saturday that the two Americans were detained on March 17 "while illegally intruding into the territory of (North Korea) by crossing the (North Korea)-China border."

KCNA says authorities are now investigating the case. The brief dispatch gave no further details.

State Department officials say Washington is in contact with North Korea about the two detained journalists.

U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton "is engaged on this matter right now," spokesman Robert A. Wood told reporters Friday.