国际英语新闻：DPRK releases two American journalists

PYONGYANG, Aug. 5 (Xinhua) -- The two American female journalists captured on March 17 and sentenced to 12 years of "labor reform" in June by the Democratic People's Republic of Korea(DPRK) were granted an amnesty and released during former U.S. president Bill Clinton's visit to the country, the official KCNA news agency reported on Wednesday.

    "The measure taken to release the American journalists is a manifestation of the DPRK's humanitarian and peace-loving policy," the KCNA report said.

    Clinton "sincerely apologized" for the "hostile acts committed by the two American journalists against the DPRK after illegally intruding into it" and conveyed a request of the U.S. government to pardon them and send them home, the report said.

    "Clinton courteously conveyed a verbal message of U.S. President Barack Obama expressing profound thanks for this," it added.

    The DPRK's top leader Kim Jong Il met with Clinton and "had candid and in-depth discussions on the pending issues between the DPRK and the U.S. in a sincere atmosphere and reached a consensus of views on seeking a negotiated settlement of them," the official report on Clinton's visit to Pyongyang said.

    Clinton conveyed a verbal message of President Obama "reflecting views on ways of improving the relations between the two countries," it added.

    Clinton's visit will "contribute to deepening the understanding between the DPRK and the U.S. and building the bilateral confidence," it concluded.

    Another KCNA dispatch said Clinton left Pyongyang for home on Wednesday, but didn't say whether the two American journalists were leaving on the same plane. Yang Hyong Sop, vice-president of the Presidium of the Supreme People's Assembly of the DPRK, and Kim Kye Gwan, the country's vice-minister of foreign affairs, saw Clinton off at the airport, it noted.

    Clinton arrived in Pyongyang on Tuesday noon by a chartered plane. The United States and the DPRK have no diplomatic relations.

    A spokesman for the Foreign Ministry of the DPRK hinted in late July that the country may hold one-on-one talks with the United States, while ruling out the possibility of returning to the six-party talks aimed at dismantling its nuclear programs.