UPDATE II (Original Post Follows Updates)

Journalists Euna Lee and Laura Ling returned to American soil today, touching down in Los Angeles where they were reunited with their families. In a press conference held at Bob Hope Airport in Burbank an emotional Ling read from a statement thanking former President Clinton and a host of others for securing her and Lee's release.

 See Ling read her statement to the press.

 

UPDATED (Original Post Follows Update):

Current Media have issued the following statement on the release of Laura Ling and Euna Lee:

LAURA LING AND EUNA LEE ARE COMING HOME

Current Media journalists, Laura Ling and Euna Lee, who have been detained in North Korea since March 17th, will be coming home on Wednesday morning with former President Bill Clinton, who is at this moment returning from North Korea having obtained their release.

We want to thank the Obama Administration for its continuous and determined efforts to achieve this outcome, and President Clinton for his willingness to undertake this mission.

All of us at Current are overjoyed at Laura and Euna’s safe return. Our hearts go out to them – and to their families – for persevering through this horrible experience.

We will have more to say in the days and weeks ahead. But for now, all our thoughts are with Laura and Euna and their families, who have shown remarkable courage and initiative for the 140 days of this ordeal.

Al Gore and Joel Hyatt

Co-Founders

Current Media

 

 

 

 

Current TV reporters Euna Lee and Laura Ling have been pardoned and ordered released by North Korean President Kim Jong Il after a surprise visit by former President Bill Clinton. Lee and Ling were taken captive by North Korean forces on March 17th and sentenced to 12 years of hard labor in June after crossing the North Korean border with China.

Details are just beginning to emerge in this dramatic conclusion to the months long diplomatic crisis.

The development comes on the heels of another journalist being held in Iran for crossing the unmarked border with Iraq during a hiking expedition.

 

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