Laura Ling-Euna Lee Updates
Instead of doing a new post and breaking up the discussion thread, I’m updating this post with news about the arrest of Ling and Lee’s guide in China. Those hoping for answers to our questions about the place and circumstances of the capture will be disappointed.
A Chinese netizen took Google Earth snapshotsof the area where the women are alleged to have crossed. The netizen notes that this part of the river is narrow and filled with a number of islets that belong to North Korea, and thus would not be difficult to cross. The hamlet on the left is Yueqing-zhen / Weolcheong-jin.
Let’s talk about this guide, Kim Seong-cheol. The February 2009 National Geographic article by Tom O’Neill mentioned that Chun Ki-won’s top guide was a former drug smuggler. I would assume Pastor Chun would send his top guide for this assignment.
If this guide is a former drug smuggler, then he has experience with North Korean agents and could contact them on a whim.
Let’s look at the package dropped into Kim Seong-cheol’s lap: A Korean-American who grew up in South Korea (someone Kim Jong-il can talk to without an interpreter), the sister of Lisa Ling (Kim Jong-il must have wet his pants when he heard that one), and the executive producer of a media company whose chairman is none other than former US Vice President and Nobel Prize Money winner Al Gore! (that’s when Kim Jong-il probably fell over backward and fainted). How much do you think a bounty on those 3 heads could be worth? Even though Mitch Koss got away, you’ve got to believe Laura Ling and Euna Lee (still technically Al Gore’s employees) could fetch a big enough reward in Chinese yuan for Kim Seong-cheol to retire once he gets out of Chinese jail. Who knows; he may be out of detention already (after writing a self-confession over and over 168 times on the blackboard like Bart Simpson) and living the good life now in Shanghai or Hainan Island.
If Current TV’s crew simply wanted to shoot some file footage of the Tumen River border area to enhance their documentary then they could have done so much closer to Yanji.
I don’t believe Mitch Koss or Laura Ling knew of this particular point on the river in advance and asked the guide “Hey Mr. Kim; can you take us to this remote area right here on our topographical map…”
Mrs. Clinton empathetically appealed for Mr. Kim’s amnesty for Laura and Euna because they violated the law. We hope these two young women would come home with appreciation and joy to their loving families. Now the countries involved in this incidence could move into a more serious negotiations for peaceful progress for the diplomatic relations. We pray for Mr. Kim’s good health. his honorable good will. We all need the understanding of each others’ humaneness and find a better way of human relations which could bring more blessing to all of us.
We hope North and South Korea could be unified peaceful way and live peacefully together as brothers and sisters.
Wishing for your good health.
Sincerely,
Chae S. Sone