American Journalists to Be Freed: N. Korean State Media

The response to a personal appeal by Clinton was said by state media (cough) to be a (cough) sign of North Korea's "humanitarian and peace-loving policy" (cough, cough).

Laura Ling, 32, and Euna Lee, 36, were captured in March and sentenced to 12 years hard labor as spies. Ling's sister, Lisa Ling, is a former co-host of ABC's "The View."

Laura Ling is a Californian, and California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger said the following:

"Both women risked their lives to search for truth in an area of the world where the press is often censored, and I applaud those who worked to negotiate their pardon. Our heartfelt thoughts are with the families of Euna and Laura, and we wish them both a safe return to California."

While the White House wanted to emphasize that the Clinton trip was all about the release of the two journalists, North Korea kept playing it up as something much more. The official Korean Central News Agency reported:

"Bill Clinton courteously conveyed a verbal message of U.S. President Barack Obama to Kim Jong-Il. Kim Jong-Il expressed thanks for this. He welcomed Clinton's visit to the DPRK (North Korea) and had an exhaustive conversation with him. There was a wide-ranging exchange of views on the matters of common concern."

In a statement, White House Press Secretary Robert Gibbs said:

"While this solely private mission to secure the release of two Americans is on the ground, we will have no comment. We do not want to jeopardize the success of former President Clinton's mission."

If nothing else, besides the release of Ling and Lee, Clinton should have first-hand knowledge of Kim Jong-Il's health, after seeing him in person. Since his stroke last year, Kim has been out of the public eye, though reported frail-looking.