Li Lina

Li Lina

Li Lina (English: Euna Lee, Korean: 이승은), born in South Korea in 1973, immigrated to the United States in the mid-1990s. American female journalist.

Li Lina began to work in "trendy TV station" in 2005. On March 17, 2009, she was detained by North Korea and sentenced to 12 years of reeducation through labor with her colleagues in North Korea. With the mediation of relevant US authorities, she was granted special Amnesty by Kim Jong Il. On August 5, 2009, she arrived in Los Angeles with her colleague Ling Zhimei.

Profile

Li Lina was born in South Korea in 1973. She moved from South Korea to the United States in the mid-1990s. After arriving in the United States, Li Lina and her sister lived together in California. According to Marcus Marquez, her classmate at that time, Li Lina did well in school and was very ambitious.

In 1998, Li graduated from UCLA with a bachelor's degree in media.

In 2005, she began to work in "trendy TV station". At the same time, she also worked for some websites, TV stations and film production companies. She once made a series of short films.

Chinese arrested

In March 2009, Li Lina's colleague and Laura Ling were arrested by the North Korean government for filming refugees on the border between China and North Korea. The North Korean government announced that they would be tried and charged with illegal entry and hostile action. On June 8, 2009, the central court of the supreme judicial organ of North Korea sentenced him to 12 years' labor education imprisonment for the crimes of "hostility to the Korean nation" and "illegal entry". According to Korean law, the judgment of the Central Tribunal is final. US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton said on June 7 that she had sent a letter to the DPRK saying that she "apologized" for the illegal entry of two American female journalists into the DPRK and demanded their release, South Korea's Yonhap news agency quoted ABC as saying on June 8. She said she received a reply from the DPRK. But the report did not say when the letter was sent or what the North Korean side replied to.

Solidarity activities

The families of Ling Zhimei and Euna Lee in the United States worried about them day and night. On the evening of June 3, 2009, when they were being tried, their families and supporters held rallies in New York and other nine cities in the United States. They hoped that the North Korean and American governments could put the two people out of the political issues and let them return to the United States as soon as possible to reunite with their families, instead of putting them in prison. Ling Zhihui, Ling Zhimei's sister, and her family chose to deal with the matter in a low-key manner earlier to avoid irritating the North Korean government. But now the trial is coming, and they can't care much about it. Ling Zhihui runs around, hoping to win their early release by going on TV and organizing rallies. Current TV, where Ling Zhimei and Euna Lee work, was founded by former Vice President Al Gore and mainly broadcasts programs shot by young people from all over the world. Ling Zhihui is well-known in the TV industry for hosting ABC's the view and National Geographic Explorer.

Li Lina, a good friend of Lexus

After the sentencing of Ling Zhimei and Korean female journalist Li Lina, their friends also began to appear in the American media to introduce their impression of the two. Cheryl dunpitt marsh and Ling Zhimei were childhood partners. In Marsh's impression, Ling Zhimei is a brave young reporter, she has a sense of humor, full of enthusiasm for life. This kind of personality makes her report news with a unique perspective, and she always likes to run to dangerous places. "Unfortunately, they hit a sensitive period," marsh said She believes that Lexus can take care of herself while in captivity. "She was brave," she said. Thousands of miles away we are very sad, but we will pass her positive faith Marsh and Ling Zhimei met in high school. Recently, she opened the photo album of high school, on which Ling Zhimei always laughs happily. She has always been a happy person, says marsh.

He was finally released

On August 4, 2009, former US President Bill Clinton arrived in Pyongyang by special plane to begin his visit to North Korea. On August 5, the KCNA broadcast a press release on Clinton's visit to the DPRK, saying that during his talks with Kim Jong Il, the supreme leader of the DPRK, Clinton "deeply apologized for the illegal entry into the DPRK and hostile activities against the DPRK" and "solemnly conveyed the sincere request of the US government to handle and repatriate them from the humanitarian perspective.". In accordance with the relevant provisions of the DPRK constitution, Kim Jong Il issued an order of the chairman of the National Defense Commission and decided to grant amnesty to the two American female journalists. Clinton is deeply grateful for this. The release of the two American female journalists "reflects North Korea's humanitarian and peace loving policy," the press release said.

Clinton ended his 20 hour visit to North Korea on August 5 and left Pyongyang at 8:10 a.m. local time (7:10 Beijing time). When Clinton shook hands with the North Korean leader and stood at the door of the cabin, a car carrying two American female journalists drove directly to the special plane. Li Lina and Li Lina walked up the gangway with their bags, shook hands with Clinton and entered the cabin.

The release of Li Lina and Lexus made her family overjoyed. They issued a statement to thank Clinton and others. "We thank all those who supported us during this period, which means a lot to us," the statement said. We are now counting time in seconds, waiting to embrace Lina and Zhimei. "

In the early morning of August 5 (US western time), Li Lina and Ling Zhimei arrived safely at Burbank Airport in Los Angeles, California, on the special plane of former US President Bill Clinton.

Chinese PinYin : Li Li Na