News Releases

As Trial Begins, RTNDA Calls for Release of U.S. Journalists in North Korea

As American journalists Laura Ling and Euna Lee are now apparently on trial in a secret hearing, RTNDA repeats its call for North Korean officials to end the trial and release both women.  

The journalists have been under arrest in North Korea since March 17 when they were taken into custody while reporting on refugee issues at the border in China.

North Korean officials should recognize that RTNDA members and other journalists across the world see the act of trying these journalists as an affront to media freedom and basic human rights.  A reporting team covering important international issues is working for people across the globe and deserves the freedom to pursue the story free of local government interference.  

In addition, a secret trial with no observers presents further points out the North Korean government’s backward position in the area of openness and acting in the public interest.

“It is my hope that the officials involved in this case will see that the journalists were doing nothing wrong by reporting a story as they would be allowed to do in nearly every country in the world,” said RTNDA Chairman Stacey Woelfel. “Once the trial court recognizes that there was no crime committed, it should release these American journalists wrongly held for nearly two months now.”

The entire world is watching to see how North Korean will handle this important international issue.  It is RTNDA’s hope that the Pyongyang government will join with governments around the world in recognizing the right of journalists to work unfettered by political interference.  The release of Laura Ling and Euna Lee would certainly send a clear message to those watching that North Korea respects the basic right of journalists to investigate and report any story anywhere.

RTNDA represents members around the world, working to promote and protect journalistic freedoms everywhere it can.  Its leadership will continue to publicize these offenses against the free practice of journalism and fight for those wrongly detained, tried, or imprisoned.