Kim Jong-il, "hostage diplomacy" and the release of the U.S. journalists

Laura Ling and Euna Lee, reunited with their families thank "Clinton and North Korea for the amnesty”. Tokyo and Seoul have requested the collaboration of the former US President for the release of Japanese and South Korean citizens currently in the hands of Pyongyang. In South Korea controversy mounts over the government’s "hard line" towards the North.

Seoul (AsiaNews / Agencies) - "The past 140 days were the most difficult of our lives, but we are happy to be back home." These are the words spoken by Laura Ling, her voice broken by emotion, on her return to the United States after months of captivity in North Korea. A story that takes on the contours of a personal success for Kim Jong-il, who has reaffirmed the internal leadership and gained a strong position within the international community.

Laura Ling, 32, and Euna Lee, 36, the two American journalists arrested for Current TV in March last year for illegal entry into North Korea and sentenced to 12 years forced labour, landed yesterday at Burbank in California. The two women, accompanied by former U.S. President Bill Clinton who led a successful diplomatic mission to Pyongyang, were able to embrace their families. "We thank the North Korean government for granting us an amnesty - added Ling - Now we want to spend a period of calm, with our families. Thank you for everything. "

Washington has stated that this was a “private” humanitarian mission, a personal issue and did not involve government officials. White House spokesman Robert Gibbs, stated that Clinton did not bring a message from Obama for Kim Jong-il, as reported by North Korean official media and did not offer "apologies" for the incident. President Barack Obama, however, did thank Clinton for his "excellent" work, which culminated in the release of two journalists”. Hillary Clinton, Secretary of State, from a U.S. diplomatic mission in Africa, added that the release is a "separate issue" to the controversy over Pyongyang's nuclear program.

In spite of the U.S. administration’s distancing itself from the operation, the American administration did follow every aspect of the mission. Washington, which has no official diplomatic relations with North Korea, entrusted the care of the two women while in custody to the Swedish Ambassador Mats Foyer. He then had a direct contact with the Clinton entourage in order to ensure the success of the mission, informing allies and other nations - including China and Russia - that the trip to North Korea was imminent.

Seoul and Tokyo reveal that the former U.S. president also apparently "put pressure" on North Korea to secure the release of South Korean and Japanese nationals in the hands of Pyongyang. Moon Tae-young, South Korean Ministry of Foreign Affairs spokesman, quashed concerns put forward at the time that "the diplomatic mission would reinforce a direct link between Washington and Pyongyang”, excluding South Korea.

What is certain is that the developments surrounding the kidnapping of American citizens reinforces Kim Jong-il’s strategy of “hostage diplomacy"- as defined by the dissident website The Daily NK –a new channel for direct dialogue with the US administration. Direct talks with Washington would be the only way to "avoid new UN sanctions, gain diplomatic and economic concessions moving away from China and forcing South Korea to restore the Sunshine Policy."

It seems Seoul is the only one to emerge from the entire story with broken bones. President Lee Myung-bak, since coming to office, has always tied the supply of aid to the North with the interruption of it’s nuclear program and a resumption of six party talks, including South Korea, North Korea, United States, Russia, China and Japan. Now the opposition can use the weapon of the release of two journalists to attack the government’s "bankrupt" policy toward the North.

The issue increasingly appears to take on the shape of a perfectly drawn up design by the North’s “Dear Leader” Kim Jong-il to reiterate his internal leadership – silencing rumours over his health conditions and problems related to the succession of power - and his strong position in international diplomacy.

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Kim Jong-il, "hostage diplomacy" and the release of the U.S. journalists

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