North Korean leader Kim Jong Il granted pardons to two American journalists who have been held in the country for months, South Korea's Yonhap news agency reported early Wednesday, paving the way for their release shortly after former US president Bill Clinton arrived in the Stalinist state to secure their freedom. Clinton made an unannounced visit to North Korea on Tuesday and met with Kim to discuss the status of the two journalists, Laura Ling and Euna Lee. ABC News, a US broadcaster, reported that Clinton also held an emotional meeting with the two prisoners. Ling and Lee were arrested in March for allegedly crossing illegally into North Korea and were subsequently convicted and sentenced to 12-year prison terms. The United States has continuously called on Pyongyang to release the journalists on humanitarian grounds.
