US Reporters Detained by DPRK Quite worrisome that DPRK border guards feel that they can violate PRC territory and enter at will. Even more troubling is that they have essentially kidnapped these two reporters. In a rush? For a quick synopsis, just read the red highlighted lines. The DPRK and PRC border is well known to be an easy transit point for DPRK political and economic refugees. At many points, one only has to walk through knee deep water from North Korea to China or vice versa. There is a huge population of DPRK illegal immigrants living in northern China, and a substantial amount of goods and currency are shipped into the DPRK via this population. Both countries have decried such activity but have allowed it to exist with a wink and a nod. However, having DPRK soldiers on Chinese soil raises a whole host of sovereignty and diplomatic issues. It would be interesting to see if the PRC allows the DPRK to get away with violating Chinese territory in such a blatant way. On the other hand, having Chinese guards also arrest a third reporter at the same time opens the door to the possibility of a coordinated action between both those nations. It is also widely believed that North Korean agents freely enter into China's border region's many korean neighborhoods to keep close tabs on the activities there. This may simply be a planned distraction from the anticipated launch of a rocket that the DPRK considers a satellite (but is widely believed to be a ballistic missile by the west).
Update, so it turns out the that not only were the two US reporters in the wrong, but really stupid wrong. They violated the first rule of journalism, that is, "don't become the news.": In a rush? For a quick synopsis, just read the red highlighted lines. Needless to say, they were being monumentally stupid in this regard. Unfortunately for them, methinks they will be visiting the DPRK for a very long time... -noclue
We wouldn't really know the truth till we hear from the ladies. If they really tried to cross the border like that, than they have no one to blame but themselves for being stupid, it's lucky they didn't get shot.
They're been pardoned Great news! http://www.nytimes.com/2009/08/06/world/asia/06korea.html?_r=1&ref=global-home
I think Clinton was a partial reason for this, it's FANTASTIC News. But yeah, something has to be done about North Korea.
Actually, Clinton was THE only reason for this. By making a former US president come to the DPRK personally to plead for their release, this was a huge propaganda coup for DPRK. Further, if one really analyzes the situation, both of these reporters were to blame for their own misery. They knowingly and willingly violated the territory of a sovereign nation; thus they were legally 100% in the wrong. While their motivation may have been to bear witness before the world and to highlight the harshness and brutality of life under the DPRK policies, they cannot hope to do it by ignoring international and DPRK law, and then expect immunity from such laws. They perhaps thought that their "reporter" status would somehow give them special consideration or a free pass. On one previous report, they supposedly approached and engaged in talking to a DPRK border guard (who initially thought they were North Koreans, but arresting them once he realized they were Americans). So, in effect, they break the law and then have the monumental genius to go tell a policeman about it. Like Da-uh... Journalism 101, don't become the story. A statement made by Lisa Ling, the sister of recently freed reporter, Laura Ling; confirmed that the reporters were, in fact, inside of the DPRK when they were apprehended. Lisa Ling's statement tries very hard to lighten the guilt by saying that while they did violate the sovereign territory of the DPRK, they only did so "very, very briefly..." That is likened to trying to say you're only a little pregnant. Either they were guilty or not, and in this case, they were 100% guilty. Thus, in the final analysis, in their hubris and arrogance to get a good story, these women wound up handing the DPRK a huge propaganda victory by forcing a former US president to make a personal appearance within the DPRK. While it may not be considered so elsewhere in the world, inside the DPRK, the people there can see just how important their leaders must be if a former US president of Clinton's stature comes calling and photo ops with their leader Kim. IOW, what these women did, is hand those that they profess to hate and abhor the most; better political ammunition to keep the people of the DPRK oppressed. Spoiler Both should have their passports taken away for violation of the prohibition against travel to the DPRK without state dept permission. But as things would probably eventually pan out, I suppose that they both will go on speaking tours and make lots of money writing about how harrowing their experiences were. IMHO however, what they need to do first and foremost is to apologize to the American people for creating such am embarrassment for the US to begin with. While I am glad their home, I certainly won't forget that this whole affair was a mess of their own making. ***Sidebar*** Interesting tidbit about all this is that Clinton as president, was prepared to attack the DPRK nuclear facility in 1994. Widely unknown to the American public but revealed for the first time by a former ROK president Kim Young-sam, was that in 1994, the US had a fleet of 33 warships positioned off the east coast of Korea, and had been adamant about attacking, but was stopped by South Korea from doing do. Spoiler
