Obama Thanks Bill Clinton For North Korea Trip To Gain Journalists' Release

August 19, 2009 7:23 a.m. EST

Washington, D.C. (AHN) - President Barack Obama on Tuesday personally thanked former President Bill Clinton for traveling to Pyongyang early this month to secure the release of two American journalists sentenced to 12 years of hard labor for "hostile acts." The meeting also served as a briefing by Clinton about the his talks with North Korean leader Kim Jong Il, who has defied international sanctions against his nation's nuclear activities.

Clinton met with the President in the Situation Room of the White House for forty minutes. The former commander-in-chief previously underwent debriefings by the National Security Council, the State Department and other agencies about his Aug. 4 trip to the communist nation.

"Former President Clinton described the process, including a meeting with Kim Jong-il, that culminated in the North Korean leadership granting 'special amnesty' to the two journalists and permitting them to return to the United States," Press Secretary Robert Gibbs said.

"President Obama said he was gratified that the Americans had been safely reunited with their families," Gibbs added. "After the meeting, President Obama invited President Clinton to the Oval Office to continue their conversation for another half hour."

Euna Lee and Laura Ling were arrested on March 17 near the Tumen River on the communist nation's border with China on allegations that they had illegally entered North Korea. They were on assignment for Current TV, which has as its co-founder former Clinton Vice President Al Gore.

On June 8, the two were sentenced to 12 years in prison with hard labor. They had been sentenced by the nation's Central Court for having illegally trespassed and committed "hostile acts."

Until their return to the United States on Aug. 5, the White House had refused to comment on the former President's trip, citing security issues.

The Obama administration had called Clinton's visit a "private mission," but it reportedly had been actively involved and had sought assurances of the journalists' release in return for the 42nd president's visit. The journalists are said to have told family members that Pyongyang had requested for Clinton.

Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, who was on a tour of Africa at the time, welcomed the release of the journalists but maintained that official policy toward North Korea will remain unchanged.

The United States has no official ties with Pyongyang, and negotiations until Bill Clinton's trip had been undertaken through the Swedish Mission at the United Nations. Relations with North Korea have been strained, with Washington successfully having pushed the U.N. Security Council to impose sanctions in response to the Asian nation's continued nuclear activities.

The U.N. Security Council on June 12 imposed tougher sanctions on North Korea in response to the nation's May 25 nuclear test.

Resolution 1874, which passed with a unanimous vote from the 15-member Council, demands that Pyongyang stop all nuclear and missile activity and demands return unconditionally to the Six Party negotiations. It also imposes a complete embargo on the nation's export of military material except small arms, gives Council members the power to inspect vessels suspected of contraband.

China, Japan, Russia, South Korea and the United States are part of negotiations, called Six Party talks, with North Korea about nuclear disarmament.