Laura Ling, Euna Lee | 08/04/2009 9:25 am
American Journalists Euna Lee and Laura Ling Freed From North Korea During Bill Clinton's Visit! (UPDATE)
Two women working for Al Gore’s Current TV were sentenced to 12 years hard labor camp for ‘hostile’ act of illegally entering rogue nation before being pardoned.
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The following post was updated 4:00 PM on 8/4/09
The official North Korean News Agency reports that the country’s leader, Kim Jong-il, has issued a special pardon to American journalists Euna Lee and Laura Ling. "Kim Jong-il issued an order… granting a special pardon to the two American journalists who had been sentenced to hard labour," KCNA said.
Former President Bill Clinton made it his personal mission to try to free Ling and Lee, who have been detained in North Korea since March.
"Clinton expressed words of sincere apology to Kim Jong Il for the hostile acts committed by the two American journalists against the DPRK after illegally intruding into it," the news agency continued. "Clinton courteously conveyed to Kim Jong Il an earnest request of the U.S. government to leniently pardon them and send them back home from a humanitarian point of view."
The two women, who work for Al Gore’s Current TV, were nabbed by North Korean border guards who say they crossed the Chinese border into the rogue nation while filming a documentary on female refugees. They were sentenced to 12 years of hard labor for illegal entry. But Clinton arrived in Pyongyang today after months of negotiations planning his trip, reports The Los Angeles Times. After all, he’s the highest-profile U.S. official to visit in almost ten years. Before news of the women’s release came Tuesday afternoon, although neither the families of the women nor many U.S. officials will speak about the trip because it’s such a delicate situation, one U.S. official did tell the Times that the Clintons were approached by the journalists’ families when it became clear the North Koreans would permit a visit. President Barack Obama and Secretary of State Hillary Clinton have pleaded for the release of Lee and Ling, but to no avail.
"Since they started talking about this, [Bill Clinton] was the only person who was going to go," a well-placed U.S. source told the New York Daily News. "This is made for him; he probably knows as much as anybody about the North Koreans."
Clinton is expected to meet North Korean leader Kim Jong-il later Tuesday and fly out of the country as early as Wednesday, and Yonhap News in South Korea says diplomatic sources there say he intends to bring Ling and Lee back home with him.
That would be great news for Lee, Ling and their families.
Read more about: Al Gore, Bill Clinton, Capture, Euna Lee, Journalism, Laura Ling, News, North Korea, U.S.
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306 Reader Comments (so far…) Sign In or Register to comment
Beth…I agree with you on that one too….but right now, whatever we can do to bring these ladies home is what matters….I pray clinton can do it.
Clinton is a former President, he’s going to have more clout than Gore. That’s a given. Gore has been diligantly working behind the scenes to garner their release, I have heard his name mentioned numerous times during this terrible ordeal, even by Lisa Ling. I realize that we aren’t going to hear everything and the news agencies sometimes don’t get the entire story across, they just regurgitate what another agency has already said.
Beth,
Your sanctimonius post is loaded with Gore Angry Syndrome laced with considerable ignorance of the issues. N. Korea specifically wanted Clinton who had respect as a Pres. with gravitas and a good notion of what diplomacy was all about. Your snide remarks about Al Gore have nothing to do with this problem. Whoever they worked for, and aware of tresspassimg or not, they are American Citizens imprisoned for a slight, and facing 12 years of hard labor.
This rescue could not have happened without both the State Dept and Obama administration working the back, and dealing with what it would take. And that meant acceeding to send Pres. Clinton who had been to N.Korea many times and knows the diplomatic and political terrain.
Your rude and irrelevant comments about Al Gore’s parents could only come from a troll or someone with a pointed head, and capitalizing H for holier than Though [for thou], speaks to your ignorance and misinformation as well as your lousy spelling.
The ladies are free thanks to Obama, our State Dept., and the skill and charisma of President Clinton.
Oh my, my….Clinton was requested for a reason people…he was a push-over and that demented ruler knows a publicity hound when he meets one.
What WAS the director of their Nuclear program doing there to greet Clinton? Hmmm?
I am glad that the girls are returned, however I would much rather that they were not in a postition to be taken in the first place. Gee….thanks Al…making over a $100 million and being heavily invested in Obama green policies is not ENOUGH money for you? Gotta put young Americans in danger for more? Good ‘ol Al, lying about global warming, making money, playing with lives.
Yep the sicko narcissist of N. Korea recognizes the needy ego of another.
Wonder what we gave up for the return of those two girls?
You would think that Gore would have known what is considered tresspassing? No? Really?
Wake up America.
oh dear god, get a life.
Thanks for the concern Carol…but I do have a life…a wonderful and fullfilling one! Oh…and a BRAIN…I have a brain as well.
Sooooooo why were those two "girls" wandering around the border of North Korea? What were they doing? Why would anyone put them in danger and for what purpose? Shouldn’t a ex Vice President know about these dangers?
It seems that you have those answers, and I would like to know as well.
Thanks ~
What ‘hostile acts" so says Pres. Kim Jon-il? Were they asked to stop filming and refused. BTW, they were filming a documentary on female refugees. Were they UNKNOWINGLY stepping onto No. Korean soil, even for a gbrief 30 seconds? Were Lisa and Euna REALLY ‘illegally intruding’ into N. Korea? The North Korean border guards say (or…INSIST!) that Lisa Ling and Euna Lee crossed the Chinese River at an UNMARKED point so it would have been easy to NOT realize that you’re in enemy territory, just like the three hikers who apparently crossed over from Iran to Iraq, who got lost and ventured into enemy territory and…like Laura and Euna, were nabbed and sent to who knows where?
That the North Koreans nabed the, for telling the truth…(the truth hurts, especially a totally isolated country like North Korea, a total stranger to the ‘outside’ world and a leader who CONTROLS everything) speaks volumes about them not wanting the western world among other countries to know the horrendous human rights violations against all outsiders, including western journalists. Kim Jong-il can save face to his people by insisting that these two young woman, as journalists were ‘spying’ and use that as leverage against the United States, considering North Korea has a nuclear arms program with the potential for doing a great deal of harm to the United States or wherever they choose to aim their missiles, proving what? That they’re a country to be reckoned with? Even that demilitarized zone between the two Koreas, where the North Korean border guards STARE DOWN the border guards of the democratized S. Korea.
Absolutely Carol…great post!
A dangerous man, a dangerous land, a dangerous situation, a dangerous job.
Anyone that presumes that it is their business to "document" such atrocities must assume the worst and accept that they may be detained, convicted and held by such a tyrant.
Unfortunately, America was pulled into a position which we need NOT need to be in with such a leader. Now, once again, America apologizes….once again, America is interfering…once again Kim gets the World’s attention.
Mitzi morris — Hey Mitzi back off Beth. I think your attack would come under "Personal attack". And, as a former resident of the State of Tennessee - Albert Gore Senior never did a diddle d### for the State when he was a Senator from that State. I don’t think her remark was rude, I certainly don’t think she’s a troll or, judging from her picture, I don’t think she has a pointed head.
Just as the ladies are free - so is Beth to express her opinion. So pounce on me because I gave mine!
I do think your post was just a bit touchy!
Beth — I agree - if you are going to send them into danger than you should definitely be responsible for them. But the North Koreans weren’t interested in a "nobody" that’s why they asked for someone like Clinton. The little short minx wanted the headlines.
I’m glad the ladies are home. But enough of these people going into dangerous area and expecting the US to bail them out!
Al Gore clearly has no clout —
I hope Bill is successful, but one never knows — North Korea is a sticky wicket and I don’t believe it and its leaders are all that interested in working with the Unite States at this time — they should be reminded however that in 2007 when a North Korean merchant vessel was attacked by Somali pirates, U.S. Navy ships saved the North Korean seamen and provided medical treatment to the wounded Koreans.