NORTH KOREA’S highest court has convicted two US journalists and sentenced them to 12 years in a labour camp, raising the stakes still higher in the reclusive country’s confrontation with the United States.
The North’s Central Court found TV reporters Laura Ling and Euna Lee guilty of an unspecified “grave crime” against the nation, of “hostility toward the Korean people” and of illegally crossing into North Korea, the state-run Korean Central News Agency reported.
There were growing signs that Pyongyang is using the women as bargaining chips as the UN debates a new resolution to punish the country for its defiant May 25th atomic test and as North Korea seeks to draw Washington into direct negotiations.
The North has promised to respond harshly to any tightening of sanctions. “Our response would be to consider consider sanctions against us as a declaration of war and answer it with extreme hardline measures,” North Korea’s official Rodong Sinmun newspaper said in a commentary.
Tensions between North Korea and pretty much the rest of the world remain high since the its nuclear test last month and signs it is preparing for a long-range missile test.
Over the weekend, President Barack Obama said his administration had no intention of continuing “a policy of rewarding provocation”, while secretary of state Hillary Clinton said Washington was looking into putting North Korea back on a list of state sponsors of terrorism, a listing that could subject the impoverished state to more financial sanctions.
She appealed for the two women to be released, saying it was a humanitarian issue and separate from the nuclear dossier.
Washington removed North Korea from its terrorism blacklist in October in an effort to revive faltering six-party nuclear disarmament talks, prompting the North to take some measures to disable its nuclear facilities. However, the North has subsequently dismissed the talks as useless, prompting a possible rethink by Washington.
The recent bout of sabre-rattling is seen as an effort by leader Kim Jong-il to boost his position at home with the military and to better secure the succession for his youngest son Kim Jong-un.
Ms Lee (36) and Ms Ling (32) are reporters for former vice-president Al Gore’s Current TV media venture. They were arrested near the China-North Korean border on March 17th, while they were reporting a story about the trafficking of North Korean women.
Their cameraman escaped, while their local guide is reportedly being held by Chinese police. It is unclear if they strayed into the North or were grabbed by aggressive border guards who crossed into China.
The verdict, which followed a closed trial, comes nearly three months after their arrest. Because it comes from North Korea’s highest court, it cannot be appealed.
They are much harsher sentences than expected.
Washington said it was “deeply concerned” by the verdict. The US does not have diplomatic relations with North Korea and its interests are looked after in Pyongyang by the Swedish embassy.
There is speculation that the women could be freed as a goodwill gesture, with the release followed by a visit by a US envoy to the state. One of the options being examined is sending Mr Gore to North Korea to secure the journalists’ release.