North Korea

South Korea's Yonhap news agency reported early Wednesday that Kim Jong-Il granted pardons to two American journalists who had been sentenced to 12 years in prison for illegally entering the Stalinist country.

"Kim Jong-Il issued an order of the Chairman of the DPRK National Defense Commission on granting a special pardon to the two American journalists who had been sentenced to hard labor … and releasing them," Yonhap said, quoting from North Korea's official Korean Central News Agency (KCNA).

Bill Clinton, former US president and husband of current Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, made an unannounced trip to North Korea on Tuesday, meeting with that country's leader and according to US broadcaster ABC News, holding an emotional meeting with the two detained journalists.

Laura Ling and Euna Lee, two journalists employed by Current TV, were arrested near the North Korea-Chinese border in March for allegedly illegally crossing into North Korea. The US had repeatedly called for them to be released on humanitarian grounds.

News agency KCNA said Clinton had "candid and in-depth discussions on the pending issues between the DPRK and the US in a sincere atmosphere and reached a consensus of views on seeking a negotiated settlement of them."

High-level contact

Analysts say Clinton's trip gave the North Korean leader contact with a senior Washington figure. The US has been part of six-party talks with North Korea over its nuclear program, but Pyongyang has long wanted direct negotiations with Washington.

Clinton was greeted by senior North Korean officials on his arrival, including Kim Kye Gwan, that country's senior nuclear negotiator.

There was hope that the visit could pave the way for the US and North Korea to begin making progress in stalled talks over the North's nuclear ambitions. Negotiations, which also include China, Japan, Russia and South Korea, have been at an impasse since last year.

The White House has given little comment on the trip, saying it did not want to jeopardize what is "obviously a very sensitive topic," according to White House spokesman Robert Gibbs.

Clinton has now left Pyongyang accompanied by Lee and Ling. His spokesman Matt McKenna said Clinton and the two Californians were flying to Los Angeles.

Joy and doubt

The families of the two US journalists said they were "overjoyed" by news that the former president had secured their release.

"The families of Laura Ling and Euna Lee are overjoyed by the news of their pardon," they said in a statement, which also praised the work of US President Barack Obama's administration.

"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."

Current TV, for which the two journalists work, was founded by Gore.

There have, however, been critics of the former president's mission.

"I think it's not a good idea," said John Bolton, who was US ambassador to the United Nations during the Bush administration. "I think it expands the risk that North Korea and others will draw the conclusion that they can extract political concessions for holding Americans hostage."

jam/Reuters/dpa/AP

Editor: Darren Mara