A BBC reporter, a producer and a cameraman have been detained in North Korea and are being expelled from the country, the BBC has said.
Rupert Wingfield-Hayes, producer Maria Byrne and cameraman Matthew Goddard were detained on Friday after for "improper reportage" about leader Kim Jong-Un, The Express reports.
They were about to leave the reclusive communist state.
Mr Wingfield-Hayes was questioned for eight hours and made to sign a statement by North Korean officials, the corporation said.
North Korea BBC Journalist
(01 of12)
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BBC's journalist Rupert Wingfield-Hayes arrives at the airport in Beijing, China, Monday, May 9, 2016. North Korea on Monday expelled the BBC journalist it had detained days earlier for allegedly "insulting the dignity" of the authoritarian country, while it continued to keep other foreign media away from the first-in-decades ruling party congress they had been invited to attend. (AP Photo/Ng Han Guan) (credit:Ng Han Guan/AP)
(02 of12)
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BBC reporter Rupert Wingfield-Hayes (C) is surrounded by the media after arriving at the international airport in Beijing on May 9, 2016.Rupert Wingfield-Hayes, a BBC reporter in North Korea was detained, interrogated for eight hours and eventually expelled over his reporting in the run-up to a rare ruling party congress, the British broadcaster said on May 9. / AFP / FRED DUFOUR (Photo credit should read FRED DUFOUR/AFP/Getty Images) (credit:FRED DUFOUR via Getty Images)
(03 of12)
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BBC's journalist Rupert Wingfield-Hayes arrives at the airport in Beijing, China, Monday, May 9, 2016. North Korea on Monday expelled the BBC journalist it had detained days earlier for allegedly "insulting the dignity" of the authoritarian country, while it continued to keep other foreign media away from the first-in-decades ruling party congress they had been invited to attend. (AP Photo/Ng Han Guan) (credit:Ng Han Guan/AP)
(04 of12)
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BBC reporter Rupert Wingfield-Hayes (C) is surrounded by the media after arriving at the international airport in Beijing on May 9, 2016.Rupert Wingfield-Hayes, a BBC reporter in North Korea was detained, interrogated for eight hours and eventually expelled over his reporting in the run-up to a rare ruling party congress, the British broadcaster said on May 9. / AFP / FRED DUFOUR (Photo credit should read FRED DUFOUR/AFP/Getty Images) (credit:FRED DUFOUR via Getty Images)
(05 of12)
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BBC reporter Rupert Wingfield-Hayes (C) is surrounded by the media after arriving at the international airport in Beijing on May 9, 2016.Rupert Wingfield-Hayes, a BBC reporter in North Korea was detained, interrogated for eight hours and eventually expelled over his reporting in the run-up to a rare ruling party congress, the British broadcaster said on May 9. / AFP / FRED DUFOUR (Photo credit should read FRED DUFOUR/AFP/Getty Images) (credit:FRED DUFOUR via Getty Images)
(06 of12)
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BBC reporter Rupert Wingfield-Hayes speaks to journalists after arriving at the international airport in Beijing on May 9, 2016.Rupert Wingfield-Hayes, a BBC reporter in North Korea was detained, interrogated for eight hours and eventually expelled over his reporting in the run-up to a rare ruling party congress, the British broadcaster said on May 9. / AFP / FRED DUFOUR (Photo credit should read FRED DUFOUR/AFP/Getty Images) (credit:FRED DUFOUR via Getty Images)
(07 of12)
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BBC's journalist Rupert Wingfield-Hayes tries to leave in a car after arriving at the airport in Beijing, China, Monday, May 9, 2016. North Korea on Monday expelled the BBC journalist it had detained days earlier for allegedly "insulting the dignity" of the authoritarian country, while it continued to keep other foreign media away from the first-in-decades ruling party congress they had been invited to attend. (AP Photo/Ng Han Guan) (credit:Ng Han Guan/AP)
(08 of12)
Open Image Modal
BBC reporter Rupert Wingfield-Hayes (C) is surrounded by the media after arriving at the international airport in Beijing on May 9, 2016.Rupert Wingfield-Hayes, a BBC reporter in North Korea was detained, interrogated for eight hours and eventually expelled over his reporting in the run-up to a rare ruling party congress, the British broadcaster said on May 9. / AFP / FRED DUFOUR (Photo credit should read FRED DUFOUR/AFP/Getty Images) (credit:FRED DUFOUR via Getty Images)
(09 of12)
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BBC reporter Rupert Wingfield-Hayes (C) looks on after arriving at the international airport in Beijing on May 9, 2016.Rupert Wingfield-Hayes, a BBC reporter in North Korea was detained, interrogated for eight hours and eventually expelled over his reporting in the run-up to a rare ruling party congress, the British broadcaster said on May 9. / AFP / FRED DUFOUR (Photo credit should read FRED DUFOUR/AFP/Getty Images) (credit:FRED DUFOUR via Getty Images)
(10 of12)
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BBC's journalist Rupert Wingfield-Hayes, center, walks past journalists as he arrives at the airport in Beijing, China, Monday, May 9, 2016. North Korea on Monday expelled the BBC correspondent, who had not among journalists covering the congress. He had covered an earlier trip of Nobel laureates and had been scheduled to leave Friday. Instead, he was stopped at the airport, detained and questioned. (AP Photo/Ng Han Guan) (credit:Ng Han Guan/AP)
(11 of12)
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BBC's journalist Rupert Wingfield-Hayes pushes his cart past journalists as he arrives at the airport in Beijing, China, Monday, May 9, 2016. North Korea on Monday expelled the BBC journalist it had detained days earlier for allegedly "insulting the dignity" of the authoritarian country, while it continued to keep other foreign media away from the first-in-decades ruling party congress they had been invited to attend. (AP Photo/Ng Han Guan) (credit:Ng Han Guan/AP)
(12 of12)
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BBC reporter Rupert Wingfield-Hayes (C) looks on after arriving at the international airport in Beijing on May 9, 2016.Rupert Wingfield-Hayes, a BBC reporter in North Korea was detained, interrogated for eight hours and eventually expelled over his reporting in the run-up to a rare ruling party congress, the British broadcaster said on May 9. / AFP / FRED DUFOUR (Photo credit should read FRED DUFOUR/AFP/Getty Images) (credit:FRED DUFOUR via Getty Images)
Mr Wingfield-Hayes was accused of an alleged "inappropriate description" of leader Kim Jong Un, according to reports.
All three were in Pyongyang ahead of the Workers Party Congress. They were accompanying a delegation of Nobel prize laureates on a research trip.
Another BBC journalist, Stephen Evans, the Seoul correspondent, is still in Pyongyang.
He said the North Korean leadership was displeased with their reports.
Mr Evans said Mr Wingfield-Hayes was singled out over some of his reports for TV and online.
Speaking live to Radio 4's Today programme he said: "They were, as I understand, at the airport waiting to get on a flight.
"Just as they were about to board the flight, Rupert was held back.
"He was then taken to a hotel, a separate hotel to where we were and interrogated for eight hours."
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STR via Getty Images
An interrogator told Mr Wingfield-Hayes he had been the official to prosecute Kenneth Bae - a Korean-American missionary who was sentenced to 15 years' hard labour in the country.
Mr Evans said that Mr Wingfield-Hayes was told to sign a confession confirming that his work had been inaccurate and the authorities were particularly concerned about two incidents.
In one, Mr Wingfield-Hayes had questioned whether a visit by VIPs to a hospital had been staged by the authorities to make it seem better than it was, and another one when a cameraman was asked to delete pictures.
He said he believed his three colleagues were currently at the airport waiting to leave.
BBC presenter Jeremy Vine tweeted about the irony that North Korea wanted to be seen as a free society - yet had detained a journalist who criticised it:
North Korea granted visas to 128 journalists from 12 countries, HuffPost US reported. Their movements are closely managed and as of Monday morning they had yet to get access to the proceedings of the party congress, which began on Friday.