NORTH KOREA - Laura Ling, 36, and Euna Lee, 32, are reporters for Current TV, a San Francisco-based cable news network founded by former Vice President Al Gore.
In March, Ms. Ling and Ms. Lee were in China reporting on female trafficking in the region, specifically of North Korean women. On March 17th, while continuing work on their news story near the China-North Korea border, the two women were arrested by North Korean border guards. To date, no one knows whether the reporters accidentally crossed into North Korea when they were arrested or the border guards crossed into China in order to take them into custody.
On Monday, the U.S. learned that North Korea convicted Ms. Ling and Ms. Lee for "grave crimes" and sentenced the women to 12 years of hard labor. The legitimacy of the proceeding is under intense scrutiny due to the cloak of secrecy placed around the "trial" by the North Korean government. Little is known about what took place at the proceeding or whether or not the reporters had adequate legal representation. The ruling cannot be appealed.
Several high-ranking U.S. officials, including Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, are requesting the release of Ms. Ling and Ms. Lee on humanitarian grounds while their families ask the North Korean government to "show compassion" and grant the women clemency.
