http://english.chosun.com/site/data/html_dir/2009/08/21/2009082100326.html

Video footage shot by two TV journalists who were detained in North Korea after filming on the Chinese border was used by China to round up on North Korean refugees.

Thank you for your answers. I have really appreciated your work and effort in bringing out as much knowledge as you have. As far as Lisa saying Laura acted responsibly, that was not a direct quote, but my paraphasing of something Lisa said at an outside press conference held with Laur’s husband. Lisa was asked if with her experience as a reporter did she think Laura showed good judgement in going into North Korea. The answer, after some talk about reporting and what little Lisa knew was”from what I know, I don’t think they used poor judgement.” When I talked about this in my comments, it had been a couple of days since seeing the video,and I substituted my impression of what Lisa said, that it was a responsible decision, instead of using Lisa’s direct quote “I don’t think they used poor judgement.” I apologize for stating my interpretation as a direct quote.

This is a 12:31 unedited version of that press conference outside of the home. Many of the quotes we have seen in print and video clips we have seen come from that press confereence. This video is the only record I have seen that has that question and answer, athough it is possibly somewhere else and I missed it.

The site for this video is http://www.nbclosangeles.com/news/local-beat/Lisa_Ling_Talks_About_Sister_s_Return_Los_Angeles.html

In one of your many comments on many sites you posted some Chinese newspaper articles that interveiwed locals about what they had seen. These were all written in Chinese. You posted the full version of the trial report in English. Do you have these particular articles translated into English?

Again thanks for your answers and for your research, time and effort.

Tim

1. Did Current and the reporters not watch this documentary (On the Border)?
I don’t know. It’s easy to conclude that they should have been better prepared for this assignment. I’m sure Lisa has her National Geographic DVD (Inside North Korea) inside her house somewhere. One would assume sister Laura even has her own copy. Likewise there was an article in National Geographic magazine’s February 2009 issue that reported on the same “North Korean refugees in China” story and even mentioned Rev. Chun Ki-won, who arranged Current TV’s China itinerary and was in touch with Euna every day while they were in China including the morning of March 17. Certainly Lisa has a complimentary subscritpion to NG, right? Wouldn’t Laura and Current TV have read that article since their assignment was practically the same?

2. Was Lisa Ling not able to talk to Mitch Koss?
They were in communication soon after he arrived back in California. That’s all I know.

3. Lisa replied that Laura says it was a responsible decision (crossing the border). I want to know how she came to that conclusion.
I somehow missed this quotation. Somebody mentioned it at Current.com on page 3 of comments under the Laura and Euna thank you video. I would sure like to hear Lisa and Laura elaborate on that idea, since I still believe it was either done on a whim or the guide led them into a trap. I’m leaning toward “whim” at the moment, but we haven’t heard anything from the guide. I’m hoping some investigative reporter will track down the guide, but the problem is that there are no investigative reporters in mainland China.

4. Why Mitch Koss got away and the ladies didn’t?
I assume Mitch Koss had his back to the China border while filming and thus did not have to run as far as Laura and Euna. Ling did mention briefly that there was some distance between them. The guide also escaped, and he should have served as the lookout scout since Mitch’s peripheral vision would have been affected by the act of filming.

5. Why was Euna there?

6. Was she treated differently being a South Korean? Why did she decline a lawyer during the trial?
Fortunately for Euna, she was treated like a US citizen instead of a South Korean. Both Laura and Euna were treated well at their guest house, so unless Euna has a new story to reveal then I assume she was not mistreated for speaking native Korean. I believe Laura chose a lawyer because she needed an interpreter at the trial; obviously Euna did not need any assistance understanding the court proceedings.

i have posted your blog to my comments (copy/paste)
http://goodstuff4u.multiply.com/journal/item/142/LAURA_EUNA_STUPID_JOURNALISTS

Should be: how that affects others in the noxious places where they do it.

This is not meant to be a blanket indictment of 30 somethings, but the few I work with believe everything starts with them. They take break rules, call it “risk taking”, and act pretty much suprised when there are consequences for their actions. In this Ling case, the unintended consequences are far reaching and potentially tragic for others.

When the State Department viewed the documentary “On the Border”, one official wanted to know how “the reporters shot the film on the dangerous Chinses-North Korean border. Did Current and the reporters not watch this documentary? Was Current trying to duplicate in a few days a documtary that took 10 months to complete? Thanks for linking to a site that shows a couple of clips. If there is a way to see the whole thing, or at least the British edit “Korea: Out of the North” I would appreciate information.

Many things can be blamed on Laura, Euna, Mitch and Lisa, but I don’t blame them for using what influence the could to get themselves out of harm’s way. If our family was in the same situation, I believe we would act the same way. I hope, like most of you, that they turn this outword, and use whatever thay can to help others.

On Larry King, Lisa said that Koss, “who essentially escaped” called his wife, and then the chain of calls began. Later in the show, she kept saying that Laura and Euna were the only two who knew what really happened. Was Lisa not able to talk to Koss? After the ladies were released, in a raw footage view of a Lisa Ling press conference, Lisa was asked if Laura felt she had made a responsible choice in crossing the border Lisa replied that Laura says it was a responsible decision. I want to know how she came to that conclusion.

I understand the women not wanting to talk right now. I understand Koss not talking while they were hostages. I don’t understand the silence by Koss or Current now that the women are free. I want to know why Koss got away and the ladies didn’t. My uninformed speculation doesn’t paint him as a good guy. I want to make an informed opinion. My fear is all of the silence is leading up to a sugar coated, let’s all get our stories straight, story.

Finally, my last thought is about Euna Lee. Why was she there? She was not a reporter, she was a film editor. This was her first assignment out of the office. She was supposee to be translating, and she did get to see her parents, but why would you sent a complete novice to that part of the world? Now she is cut out of the book deal? I want to hear her side of things as well. Was she treated differently being a South Korean? Why did she decline a lawyer?

I know this is overlong, but this seems to be a place where if I get a response it will be substantial and thoughtul and informative, not the usual “stop hating on Laura and Euna” like I get at other sites.

Again, thank you for having this blog.