Freed journalists land in California after N. Korea amnesty (1st Lead)

Aug 5, 2009, 13:54 GMT

Los Angeles - The two US female journalists freed by North Korea after three months in jail arrived back in the US Wednesday to emotional scenes that were watched across the country.

Laura Ling, 32, and Euna Lee 36, flew in to Burbank Airport near Los Angeles, California, accompanied by former US President Bill Clinton. He had travelled to North Korea after months of behind-the-scenes diplomatic work to gain their release after they were arrested in March for straying across the border from South Korea .

The two women were embraced by their families as soon as they descended the stairs from the plane, and pictures of Lee hugging her daughter, 4, played out repeatedly over US morning television.

'The two young journalists are safely back with their families,' said US President Barack Obama. 'We are enormously relieved. The reunion we have all seen on television is a source of happiness not only for the families but for the entire country.'

Clinton, Ling and Lee had flown from Pjongjang after the ex- president's previously unannounced 20-hour visit during which he had met with North Korean leader Kim Jong Il, who pardoned the two journalists.

Ling and Lee were arrested in March at the Chinese-North Korean border. They were sentenced in June to 12 years of hard labour after North Korea accused them of illegally crossing its border.

'The past 140 days have been the most difficult, heart-wrenching time of out ensure lives,' a tearful Ling said in a brief statement. 'We are very grateful that we were granted amnesty by the government of North Korea and we are so happy to be home.'