This video posted on YouTube — which appears to be a report from the state-sponsored Korean Central television — has no images of the tearful women, but lots of pictures of Bill Clinton meeting various North Korean dignitaries. The North Korean state news agency website has the English text translation, which declares the release “a manifestation of the DPRK’s humanitarian and peace-loving policy.”

To help us sort through what’s behind the message, we turned to Leon Sigal of the Social Science Research Council.

Worldfocus: Does this video appear to be from Korean Central TV?

Sigal: Yes. They look like the two main news reports.

Worldfocus:  How would you characterize the language used in the reports?

Sigal: It shows how a little respect from the U.S. goes a long way in the DPRK.  Four points are worth noting:

“Clinton expressed words of sincere apology to Kim Jong Il for the hostile acts committed by the two American journalists against the DPRK after illegally intruding into it. Clinton courteously conveyed to Kim
Jong Il an earnest request of the U.S. government to leniently pardon them and send them back home from a humanitarian point of view.”

Words of sincere apology are not the same as saying he apologized, and could reflect a generous interpretation of seeking the journalists’ amnesty, which tacitly acknowledges wrongdoing, or perhaps calling the incident regrettable, which it was.

“The meetings had candid and in-depth discussions on the pending issues between the DPRK and the U.S. in a sincere atmosphere and reached a consensus of views on seeking a negotiated settlement of them.”

Candid suggests there were differences, but they agreed on “seeking a negotiated settlement.”

“Clinton courteously conveyed a verbal message of U.S. President Barack Obama expressing profound thanks for this and reflecting views on ways of improving the relations between the two countries.”

Clinton conveyed the president’s position — no more and no less.

“The DPRK visit of Clinton and his party will contribute to deepening the understanding between the DPRK and the U.S. and building the bilateral confidence.“

Pyongyang is signaling to its people it is ready to make a deal with Washington.

Worldfocus: What isn’t being said in these reports and why not?

Sigal: It goes out of its way to accentuate the positive and eliminate the negative, as the old Johnny Mercer-Harold Arlen song goes.

- Rebecca Haggerty

Charles Armstrong, a professor of Korean studies and director of the Center for Korean Research at Columbia University, joins Martin Savidge to discuss North Korea’s motives in releasing the two Americans.

That announcement came late Tuesday afternoon after former President Bill Clinton made an unannounced visit to North Korea and then held a series of high-level talks, including a rare chat with North Korean leader Kim Jong Il.

This is not the first time a former American president has gone to North Korea to negotiate. In fact, 15 years ago, during Bill Clinton’s first term, former President Jimmy Carter went to North Korea to negotiate on an earlier standoff on nuclear weapons.

Thomas Whalen, an associate professor of social science at Boston University, joins Martin Savidge to discuss Clinton’s mission and other ex-presidents who have been sent on diplomatic missions.

Read more from Worldfocus blogger Nina Hachigian: Mr. Clinton goes to Pyongyang

For more, view our Voices of Iran extended coverage page and listen to our online radio show on Baha’i faith and modern Iran.

North Korea has sentenced American journalists Laura Ling and Euna Lee to 12 years in a labor camp.

Earlier this week, North Korea sentenced two U.S. journalists to 12 years in a labor camp after they were convicted of illegal entry and crimes against the nation. Worldfocus anchor Martin Savidge writes that the U.S. is in a precarious position as it tries to ensure the journalists’ safe return while pressing North Korea on nuclear containment.

First off, if you can predict North Korea, then you are not an expert — you are divine.

That said, here goes. It is my sincere hope Laura Ling and Euna Lee will be back with their families ASAP. But I fear it could be some time — months, perhaps years. The North Koreans know they have something the U.S. wants. Also, North Korea has just begun what could be a difficult transition of power from father to third son. They don’t want reporters snooping around.

As long as North Korea holds the pair, they hold an edge over the U.S. and send a strong message to other journalists. The U.S. must disconnect the issue of journalist imprisonment from the larger issue of nuclear containment. Good luck on that…North Korea always feels like the Rodney Dangerfield of the world when it comes to respect.

So the U.S. needs to send an envoy. It’s got to be somebody well known, especially to them, but not a government official. Al Gore is the obvious choice. He’s known, he’s a civilian and he represents the company the journalists were working for when they were on assignment. Like any negotiation, North Korea will want something in return. There’s the rub for the U.S., which would prefer to punish the regime even more.

Truth is, the journalist capture and conviction couldn’t have come at a worse time. The Obama team has seen that the previous policy of carrot and stick used by the Clinton and Bush administrations didn’t work. Now they’d like to use more stick…but how likely are you to board a suspect North Korean ship carrying weapons or nuclear technology when they hold two Americans hostage?

Is North Korea America’s biggest problem now? No, that dubious honor still rests with the economy. But North Korea would like us to think they are our biggest problem. They love brinkmanship. They also, it seems, like nukes — and I’m not sure you are going to get them to give those up. It’s that respect thing again. The U.S. needs to defuse the problem by taking it out of the headlines and by opening the quiet and obscure channels of negotiation.

- Martin Savidge

Photo courtesy of Flickr user Steve Rhodes under a Creative Commons license.

Meanwhile, following North Korea’s recent nuclear testing and missile launches, Secretary of State Hillary Clinton told ABC’s “This Week” that the United States could potentially reinstate North Korea on a list of state sponsors of terrorism.

Leon Sigal, a project director at the Social Science Research Council, joins Martin Savidge to discuss the Obama administration’s approach to North Korea and how the two journalists factor into the equation.

Euna Lee and Laura Ling, reporters for Current TV, were reporting on North Korean refugees living in China when they were arrested in March. They were accused of illegal entry and unspecified “hostile acts” and could face up to 10 years in prison.

This case is one among many stories of journalist detentions, including the recent detainment of Roxanna Saberi in Iran and the holding of journalists by other countries including the U.S.

Joel Simon, executive director of the Committee to Protect Journalists, provides a closer look at the plight of journalists around the world. Simon discusses the most dangerous places for journalists and gives his thoughts on the effect the Internet has had on press freedoms.