Ex-President Bill Clinton Visits North Korea Tuesday for Detained Journalists Laura Ling and Euna Lee

Today marks the 139th day since American journalists Laura Ling and Euna Lee were detained in North Korea.

On March 17, 2009, Laura Ling and and Euna Lee, two employees of San Francisco-based Current TV – a media venture founded by former Vice President Al Gore, were shooting video along the China/North Korea border for a story they were working on about the trafficking of women in the region. They were stopped by North Korean border guards and arrested immediately thereafter. Both women were transported to Pyongyang, the capital of North Korea, where they remained under arrest until their trial.

A verdict in their closed trial was reached on June 8, and both Laura and Euna were sentenced to 12 years of reform through labor for illegal entry and grave crimes against the North Korean state.

Since the sentencing, the families have received calls, and during the second call in July, Laura told her sister Lisa Ling that she and Euna did violate North Korean law and confessed to all of the charges levied against them. They expressed deep regret for their actions and asked for continued support from our country and its citizens for their amnesty.

An article in today's edition of

The families of Laura Ling and Euna Lee issue a statement regarding the pardon of their loved ones.

The families of Laura Ling and Euna Lee are overjoyed by the news of their pardon. 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.

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 must also thank all the people who have supported our families through this ordeal, it has meant the world to us. We are counting the seconds to hold Laura and Euna in our arms.

This statement from the families of Laura Ling and Euna Lee can be found at www.lauraandeuna.com.