What next for Laura Ling and Euna Lee?

A sentence, as expected, has been handed down, but what happens next for Laura Ling and Euna Lee?

According to a report on GMA this morning, it has been speculated that in addition to a visit from a high-ranking U.S. official, North Korea may also want an official U.S. apology to be issued in regard to this case. Apparently, either before I tuned into GMA or after I switched it off, George Stephanopoulos told the program that Hillary Clinton has already sent a letter to the DPRK apologizing for the two reporters’ actions and asking that they be sent home. (Does this apology suggest that the two were indeed in North Korean territory? If not, what on earth is the State Department apologizing for?)

While reports suggest former Vice President Al Gore may travel to the DPRK to make an appeal for the journalists’ release, some North Korea watchers say Gore is not high enough on the U.S. diplomatic ladder to really influence the Kim regime. (As a reminder, Gore has been silent on the case for the most part and as of writing this post, remains silent on the issue.)

Understandably, the families of the two reporters are also choosing to not comment at this time with the latest post on the Facebook page dedicated to the release of the two women requesting that people respect the families’ privacy at this moment, calling the sentence “the worst possible outcome” and a “devastating blow to both families.”

It is hard to predict with certainty what will happen next. It seems there is a consensus out there that the two women will eventually be released, although it could be months before they see freedom. My fear is that if North Korea senses it is being pushed into a corner it cannot get out of, these two women will remain in DPRK custody for a very long time. Having said this, I feel it is too late for the U.S. to effectively separate the Ling-Lee case from North Korea’s nuclear program. Although I believe it was a good effort by the U.S. and a smart approach to take publicly, the two were always intended by the DPRK regime to be pawns in the greater scheme of things.