North Korea: American journalists Laura Ling and Euna Lee are sentenced to hard labor
A North Korean court sentenced Current TV journalists Laura Ling and Euna Lee to twenty years of "reform through hard labor" after their arrest for crossing the border from China without authorization, and both were released months later following a visit by former President Bill Clinton.123
- Country
- North Korea
- Where
- KP
- Level of government
- National
- Tactic
- Secrets and espionage laws
- Stage
- Eliminate (see the ladder)
- Ladder note
- Two foreign journalists received a twenty-year hard-labor sentence for a border charge, resolved only by a former head of state's personal visit to the country's leader.
- Head of government at the time
- Kim Jong Il
- Issue of the day
- Ling and Lee had been reporting near the China-North Korea border for the American outlet Current TV when they were detained by North Korean border guards in March 2009.
- Outcome
- Reversed, August 4, 2009. North Korean leader Kim Jong Il pardoned Ling and Lee after former President Bill Clinton traveled to Pyongyang to secure their release.
- Era
- The 2000s
What happened
Laura Ling and Euna Lee, journalists for the American outlet Current TV, were arrested on March 17, 2009, and charged with crossing the border from China into North Korea without authorization. A North Korean court sentenced them to twenty years of "reform through hard labor." The two women were held separately from each other in a combination guesthouse and government-run hotel outside Pyongyang; both later said they had been psychologically distressed during their detention but were not physically abused. Their roughly five-month ordeal ended in June 2009 when former President Bill Clinton traveled to Pyongyang and met with North Korean leader Kim Jong Il, who granted the pardons that let Ling and Lee return to the United States.123
Ling and Lee were pardoned and released in June 2009 after roughly five months in detention.3
What reason was given
North Korean authorities charged Ling and Lee with crossing the border from China without authorization on March 17, the specific basis stated for their arrest and trial.123
What changed for reporting
Two American journalists received a twenty-year hard-labor sentence for a border-crossing charge while reporting near North Korea's frontier, and their release required a former president's personal diplomatic visit rather than any legal appeal.123
Timeline
2009
Who acted
| Name | Role in this incident | Office at the time |
|---|---|---|
| Kim Jong Il | ordered | Chairman of the National Defence Commission of North Korea |
Outlets and journalists
| Name | Kind | Relation |
|---|---|---|
| Current TV | outlet | affected |
| Euna Lee | journalist, Current TV | affected |
| Laura Ling | journalist, Current TV | affected |
Sources
Claims cited
- Ling and Lee were charged with illegally crossing the border from China on March 17, 2009.
Charged with illegally crossing the border from China on March 17
Attacks on the Press 2009: North Korea, Committee to Protect Journalists, 2010-02-16. Claim 599, checked 2026-09-22. - A North Korean court sentenced the two journalists to twenty years of reform through hard labor.
sentenced to 20 years of 'reform through hard labor'
Attacks on the Press 2009: North Korea, Committee to Protect Journalists, 2010-02-16. Claim 600, checked 2026-09-22. - Ling and Lee returned to the United States after Bill Clinton traveled to Pyongyang and Kim Jong Il granted the pardons.
returned to the United States after former President Bill Clinton traveled to Pyongyang to escort them home following behind-the-scenes negotiations
Attacks on the Press 2009: North Korea, Committee to Protect Journalists, 2010-02-16. Claim 601, checked 2026-09-22.