Journalists as Bargaining Chips

Monday, June 8, 2009

Doug Bandow, senior fellowdbandow@cato.org:

North Korea has announced the conviction of two American journalists, Laura Ling and Euna Lee, for illegally entering the North and exhibiting “hostility toward the Korean people.” They were sentenced to 12 years of “reform through labor.” Obviously, the case has nothing to do with justice and everything to do with politics. The good news is that there is little chance the two will serve 12 years. The bad news is that they may not be released soon. In 1996 the U.S. won the release of Evan Hunziker, who made a drunken swim across the Yalu. The process took about three months and, apparently, the payment of $100,000.

Unfortunately, tensions between Washington and the North are higher today. With the U.S. and United Nations Security Council considering additional sanctions in response to Pyongyang’s recent nuclear and missile tests, resolution of the case is not likely to come so easily. Washington should publicly downplay the controversy and present the issue to the Kim regime as a humanitarian matter. The Obama administration should indicate its willingness to open a broader dialogue with North Korea, but indicate that positive results will be possible only if Pyongyang responds with cooperation instead of confrontation. Releasing the two journalists obviously would provide evidence of the former.

Regrettably, Laura Ling and Euna Lee are political pawns. As such, Washington’s best strategy to achieve their release is to simultaneously reduce their perceived value to Pyongyang and ease tensions between the U.S. and North Korea. Patience may be the Obama administration’s highest virtue and Ling’s and Lee’s greatest hope.

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