Bill Clinton leaves Pyongyang with freed journalists

SEOUL, Aug. 5 (Yonhap) -- Former U.S. President Bill Clinton departed Pyongyang with two freed American journalists on Wednesday, according to his spokesman and North Korean media, ending a trip highlighted by his "exhaustive" talks with North Korean leader Kim Jong-il.

Clinton boarded an unmarked plane just hours after Kim granted a special pardon
to the female reporters, Laura Ling and Euna Lee, who were detained in mid-March
for illegally entering North Korea.
"Bill Clinton, former president of the United States, and his party left here
today by air," Pyongyang's official Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) said.
The report did not say Clinton left with the journalists, but footage from APTN
showed the two women, one wearing crimson top and the other in green, ascending
stairs to the plane and shaking hands with Clinton, who was waiting for them at
the top.
Clinton waved to North Korean officials and others seeing him off.
"They were seen off at the airport by Yang Hyong-sop, vice-president of the
Presidium of the Supreme People's Assembly, and Kim Kye-gwan, vice-minister of
foreign affairs," the report said. Kim and Yang had received Clinton at the
airport in Pyongyang a day earlier.
The two reporters were en route to Los Angeles to be reunited with their
families, according to foreign press reports quoting Clinton's spokesman.
Clinton's departure was first reported shortly before 6 a.m., but the KCNA
canceled the report in an English dispatch sent out about two hours later. A few
minutes later, the KCNA and state radio stations repeated that Clinton had left
Pyongyang.