Bill Clinton, the former US president, left North Korea on Wednesday with two American journalists who were released by North Korean leader Kim Jong-il after he granted the pair a ”special pardon,” a spokesman for Mr Clinton said on Tuesday.
“President Clinton has safely left North Korea with Laura Ling and Euna Lee. They are en route to Los Angeles, where Laura and Euna will be reunited with their families,” a statement from the spokesman, Matt McKenna, said.
The release came after a surprise visit to the Communist nation from Mr Clinton in the highest-level US contact with Pyongyang since he was president almost 10 years ago. He met Mr Kim on Tuesday on a mission that risks clouding Washington's policy of isolating Pyongyang over its nuclear and missile programmes