North Korea pardons Current TV journalists

Euna Lee

(Credit: Current TV)

North Korean leader Kim Jong Il issued a "special pardon" to two Current TV journalists who were recently charged for perpetrating "hostile acts" against the communist state, according to various news reports.

We "are overjoyed by the news of their pardon," the journalists' families said in a statement.

Former U.S. President Bill Clinton reportedly arrived in Pyongyang, North Korea, on Tuesday in a publicly unannounced visit to meet with Kim. During this meeting, the North Korean leader ordered the two prisoners released, according to the Associated Press.

"While this solely private mission to secure the release of two Americans is on the ground, we will have no comment," White House Press Secretary Robert Gibbs said in a statement. "We do not want to jeopardize the success of former President Clinton's mission."

Laura Ling, 32, and Euna Lee, 36, were detained on the Chinese border on March 17 and convicted of sneaking into North Korea illegally. Working for Current TV, a San Francisco-based Internet news and video site co-founded by former Vice President Al Gore, they were reporting on North Korean refugees fleeing to China.

Laura Ling

(Credit: Current TV)

In June, the journalists were sentenced to 12 years of hard labor for "the political motive to isolate and stifle the socialist system," according to the Korean Central News Agency. Both Ling and Lee accepted the judgment.

This was Kim's first meeting with an American official since October 2000, when he met with Secretary of State Madeleine Albright. After suffering a stroke last August, he has reportedly not met with Western officials from other countries either.

According to the Associated Press, the Korean Central News Agency said the release of the journalists is a sign of North Korea's "humanitarian and peace-loving policy." It is still not clear when the women will be allowed to leave, said The New York Times.

"We are so grateful to our government: President Obama, Secretary Clinton and the U.S. State Department for their dedication to and hard work on behalf of American citizens," Lee and Ling's families said in the statement. "We especially want to thank President Bill Clinton for taking on such an arduous mission and Vice President Al Gore for his tireless efforts to bring Laura and Euna home...We are counting the seconds to hold Laura and Euna in our arms."

The nonprofit Committee to Protect Journalists also welcomed the news of the journalists' pardon.

"This has been a long and complex process given the situation on the Korean peninsula," CPJ Deputy Director Robert Mahoney said in a statement. "We thank former President Clinton for his intervention and we are grateful that the North Korean authorities have responded to appeals for clemency."

This post was updated at 3:45 p.m. PDT with comments from the journalists' families and again at 4:45 p.m. PDT with more details.

[monkeyfun14]

In June, the journalists were sentenced to 12 years of hard labor for "the political motive to isolate and stifle the socialist system,"

Labor there is already hard as it is im frightened by what they determine hard labor.

[baconstang]

Way to go Bill!

[YankeePoodle]

I am happy for them, but wont be too excited because I am not sure what types of concessions that US might have assured the rouge in N.Korea. These 2 Journalists and those 3 hikers in Iran.. what were they thinking?

[baconstang]

I think they were lost.

[chonnom]

@baconstang,

In a world that boasts affordable GPS systems accurate to within a few meters....lost? I think not.

[Michichael]

Gotta hand it to Bill. He sure knows how to diffuse a tense situation.

[gggg sssss]

What did Al Gore tell his buddy Bill to promise - that he will exempt Korea from global warming BS

[man_w_balls]

Bill Clinton is magical

[UpajOs]

Since they were working for Al Gore, the U.S. should have offered Big Al to the KoComs in exchange for the journalists. Ha ha ha!

[rodr0069]

Thanks to Obama for not making this a big <a href="http://www.canwatchtvonline.com/">internet/TV marketing</a> attempt and just getting the job done!

http://blog.lib.umn.edu/rodr0069/myblog/2009/06/how-can-i-watch-tv-on-my-pc.html

[mn8aol]

Meanwhile Hillary supports Chavez, Ortega and Castro in calling for the return of attempted marxist dictator Manuel Zelaya to power in Honduras; an appalling afront to freedom and our founding fathers. The Clintons are marxist in ideology, they just subscribe to a different flavor than North Korea--Gramsci and Gorbachev's "transformational" marxism. I can only imagine the perception of Hillary mediating for both Honduras and North Korea. I'm sure I wasn't the only one.

[mn8aol]

Meanwhile Hillary supports Chavez, Ortega and Castro in calling for the return of attempted marxist dictator Manuel Zelaya to power in Honduras; an appalling afront to freedom and our founding fathers. The Clintons are marxist in ideology, they just subscribe to a different flavor than North Korea--Gramsci and Gorbachev's "transformational" marxism. I can only imagine the perception of Hillary mediating for both Honduras and North Korea. I'm sure I wasn't the only one.

[KeithT09]

Bill Clinton made a stop in North Korea, to negotiate with Kim Jong Il for the release of two American journalists that had been imprisoned there, Euna Lee and Laura Ling, and the North Korean leader granted them amnesty through a special pardon and they were released, no cash advances for bail at all. Apparently, giving Chris Wallace on Fixed News a hiding wasn't enough when it comes to <a rev="vote for" title="Clinton Secures Pardon For U.S. Reporters in N. Korea" href="http://personalmoneystore.com/moneyblog/2009/08/04/bill-clinton-kim-jong-il/ ">Bill Clinton</a> proving his Presidential mettle, and didn't even need payday loans no faxing to get the job done.

[jCounsel]

I am glad they have their freedom, but I have to wonder...

1. They admitted they were in North Korea.

Why didn't they know where the border was and stay OUT of NK? They admit they were "guilty."

2. Fairness and Cost...

Al Gore and the company he runs that the journalists work for have some responsibility here, don't they? The "cost" of giving NK a "press release" with Bill Clinton's photo op may or may not cost us anything but it might cost those in NK something.

3. Personal Responsibility.

I would just like people to know that your action or inaction can lead to prosecution. If we "should not be held" for the reasons they gave, why should anyone be held?

As to the comments by Lisa LIng as to the humanitarian reasons why they should be released (one has a family/kids and the other suffers from ulcers)... Do we actually think those are reasons? If they were, wouldn't we release most prisoners?

We have to take responsibility for OUR actions. Or should those criminals who burgled your house go free because they were "hard up," have kids, and are suffering from an illness?