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
I hope Bill is successful as well. But why are these people hiking near these borders. Three more are now missing in Iran!
Especially when they are expecting tax dollars and the additional dangers of our personnel to save them.
Let’s not jump to conclusions. Maybe they knew and maybe they didn’t. I personally feel it’s far too risky for anyone to get close to these and any other borders. But they did ,and they’re out -thanks to a team of people including Pres Clinton who conducted himself brilliantly. I don’t think the tax dollars involved here get even close to the money spent by the GOP on perks, fighting against the Healthcare program, and payoffs received from insurance and drug companies. They hardly represent their constituents who support them with donations and votes.
So you’re worried about rescuing two american gals and what it costs? Er…my oh my.
Camper,
You may be a camper, but you’re not Grande.
Yes Grande Camper…they were warned, they work for an ex Vice President…AND one is the sister to a very well known journalist.
They were not merely "hiking". They did not "wander off". They were not merely innocent tourists.
They acted carelessly and caused America to give the impression of acknowledging a despotic dictator, by meeting with him.
Bad deal all around.
I ask; Why they thought that they were above the law and would put themselves in such a dangerous situation?
Do you have a point here Victoria?
I have many teenagers that I mentor. Many families address me as "Auntie Kelly".
However, my son was killed when he was 13, by an negligent act of my ex husband.
Some of us (not all) want to know what is going on in other parts of the world. We want the real story of what is happening in Iraq, Afghanistan and North Korea. And the journalists who travel to these places put their lives on the line to report back to the US the real story of what is going on. Even the sanitized version of what is happening (which we received for the last 7 years) still begins somewhere. Someone had to produce the story, set the narrative. So reporters (in my opinion play an important role)
I think it is a fair question to ask why Al Gore is not the spearhead behind attempting to gain their release. They work for his station and (to my knowledge - although I could be wrong) were in North Korea because of a story that would have run on his network. "IF" Clinton is successful in bringing the ladies back to America, what kind of homecoming between these reporters and Gore will there be? What will they have to say and report about their time in Korea? This entire nightmare is unimaginable.
***UPDATE***
Reports are that Gore asked Clinton to go North Korea to secure their release. Aah….my faith is restored in you Al! :-)
Diana,
Charlie Rose isn’t on yet in my neck of the woods. But I did learn something on the 11PM news: the two journalists worked for the company Al Gore co-founded, Current TV, a San Francisco based news and video portal.
Just a WAG, but I have to wonder if Gore didn’t go because he was afraid the N Koreans would imprison him for sending his employees go traipsing into N Korea. But no, it appears that he wasn’t that important in the eyes of the N Koreans.
As far as releasing the journalists: one might assume that Bill C threatened N Korea with sending Al Gore over if they didn’t release the journalists.
Welcome home, Ladies. Great job, Bill.
"As far as releasing the journalists: one might assume that Bill C threatened N Korea with sending Al Gore over if they didn’t release the journalists. "
By Andrea Brandon on 08/05/2009 2:23 am Ha! Good one Andrea…the fact is that the little crazy man requested Clinton….he walked all over Bill before and believe me, he got something in return this time….