Clinton leaves Pyongyang with released journalists

The two women, Laura Ling and Euna Lee, looked in good condition when they boarded the plane.

Clinton greeted and shook hands with the two journalists at the cabin door where he was awaiting them.

Ling and Lee, who worked for the San Francisco-based Current TV co-founded by Clinton's Vice President Al Gore, were captured on March 17 for allegedly crossing the DPRK border from China. They were sentenced to 12 years of hard labor in June.

Ling, 32, is Chinese American, while Lee, 36, is Korean American. Both are from California.

The chartered plane carrying Clinton and the two journalists left Pyongyang's Sunan Airport at about 8 a.m. local time (2300 GMT Tuesday). Yang Hyong Sop, vice-president of the Presidium of the Supreme People's Assembly, and Vice Foreign Minister Kim Kye Gwan saw them off at the airport.

Clinton paid a 20-hour visit to Pyongyang on Tuesday and successfully obtained the release of the two journalists. The DPRK news agency KCNA described the release as "a manifestation of the DPRK's humanitarian and peace-loving policy", Kazinform refers to Xinhuanet.