The Washington Times
  • Subscribe
  • Times News Services
  • RSS
  • Mobile Headlines
  • e-edition
  • E-MAIL ALERTS
  • REGISTER
  • LOG IN
  • E-MAIL ALERTS
  • WELCOME
  • Your Profile
  • Log Out
  • Front Page Image
  • Classifieds
  • Autos
  • Real Estate
  • Jobs
  • Special Sections
  • Customer Service
  • Home
  • News
  • Opinion
  • Sports
    • NFL
    • NBA/WNBA
    • MLB
    • NHL
    • Tennis
    • Golf
    • Motorsports
    • Soccer
    • NCAA
    • Olympics
    • Outdoors
    • Other
  • Culture
    • Home & Living
    • Family & Kids
    • Fashion
    • Food
    • Travel
    • Health
    • Washington Visitors
    • Books
    • Military History
    • Life
    • Auto
    • TV Listings
    • Movie Listings
    • Death Notices
    • Entertainment
  • Themes
  • Communities
  • Shopping
    • Stores
    • Coupons
    • Daily Double
    • Promotion
    • How It Works
  • Videos
    • Two Guys
    • Birnbaum on Washington
    • Liz Glover
    • Amanda Carpenter
    • Morning Briefing
    • Documentaries
    • Joe Giganti
    • Video Game Minute
  • Podcasts
    • About Headlines
    • Audio and Radio
    • America's Morning News
  • World
  • National
  • Politics
  • National Security
  • DC Area
  • Business
  • Entertainment
  • Technology
  • Investigations
  • Faith
  • Energy
  • Environment
  • Headlines
  • Citizen Journalism
  • Commentary

    Al Qaeda's prospects

  • Sports

    Slow start dooms Capitals

  • National

    Winfrey: Prayer influenced 2011 exit

  • Politics

    Report: ACORN mismanaged grant money

  • Politics

    Obama's approval rating falls below 50%

  • Local

    Report alleges D.C. schools chief Rhee mishandled conduct scandal

  • Business

    Panel slams China's trade policies

Home » News » World

Monday, June 29, 2009

U.N. chief seeks to free reporters in N. Korea

Rate this story

Average 0.00
after 0 votes
Login or register to rate this story

Expresses 'frustration' effort hasn't succeeded

  • Font Size -+
  • Print
  • Email
  • Comment
  • Tweet this!
  • Share
  • Article
  • Comments ()
  • Click-2-Listen
  • Videos
Please stand by, images loading!
  • JESSE NEIDER/SPECIAL TO THE WASHINGTON TIMES
U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon spoke with The Washington Times Sunday at his N.Y. residence, defending the “quiet diplomacy” for which he has sometimes been criticized. He is halfway through his term at the world body.

More World Stories

  • World scene
  • 6 nations press Iran to accept nuke plan
  • Faint Shroud of Turin text proves artifact real, book says
  • Pakistan upset about Afghan war troop surge

By Betsy Pisik

NEW YORK | U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon said Sunday that he is making personal efforts to try to free two U.S. journalists imprisoned in North Korea and that he played a role in the release last month of another jailed journalist in Iran.

"I have taken my own effort to facilitate any release of these American journalists, but I have not heard anything," he told The Washington Times on Sunday. "You can understand my frustration."

The two women -- Laura Ling and Euna Lee -- were sentenced earlier this month to 12 years of hard labor after they were arrested near the China-North Korea border in March.

U.S. and other efforts to free them have so far failed, and the two appear to have become victims of the deterioration in relations between North Korea and much of the rest of the world since the North carried out a second nuclear test and fired off a ballistic missile.

"I am doing all I can do," said Mr. Ban, who served as South Korea's foreign minister before becoming the first Asian U.N. secretary-general since U Thant of Burma served, from 1961 to 1971.

Mr. Ban, who is known for his reticence, said he worked similarly behind the scenes to help win freedom for Roxana Saberi.

The Iranian-American journalist was sentenced to an eight-year prison term for espionage, but the term was reduced to a two-year suspended sentence and she was allowed to leave Iran in May.

Mr. Ban said he had "spoken quite frankly" about the case to Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad when they were both in Geneva in April. "I feel a sense of responsibility to this," he said.

The soft-spoken diplomat, in a wide-ranging interview with The Times, lashed out -- albeit gently -- at critics who say he has not been particularly successful or inspiring in his first 30 months on the job.

Tuesday marks the midpoint of his five-year term at the helm of the world body, and that milestone has generated a number of harsh assessments.

[Get Copyright Permissions] Click here for reprint permissions!
Copyright 2009 The Washington Times, LLC

12Next »

Post a comment

There are comments on this article, submit your opinion!

Please login or register to post a comment

Ask a Question

You Report

Do you have another point of view, photos, audio, video or more information about a story?

Top Stories

Most Read

  1. Health bill could get 34-hour reading in Senate
  2. Work site arrests of illegals fall dramatically
  3. KELLNER: New Apple mouse really is 'Magic'
  4. Senate health care bill creates new marriage penalty
  5. PRUDEN: Obama bows, the nation cringes
More Top Stories »
  1. 19 gang members face racketeering charges
  2. EXCLUSIVE: Taliban chief hides in Pakistan
  3. Md.'s $1 billion in budget cuts not enough
  4. Palin met by hundreds in Michigan
  5. Lutherans second church to split over gays

Most Shared

  1. Senate health care bill creates new marriage penalty
  2. EXCLUSIVE: Taliban chief hides in Pakistan
  3. Tribe battles to keep logo for Fighting Sioux
  4. PRUDEN: The Third World and Obama
  5. Work site arrests of illegals fall dramatically
More Top Stories »
  1. PRUDEN: Obama bows, the nation cringes
  2. Army lacks guidelines to deal with jihadists in ranks
  3. Health bill could get 34-hour reading in Senate
  4. KELLNER: New Apple mouse really is 'Magic'
  5. Lutherans second church to split over gays

Most Commented

  1. Work site arrests of illegals fall dramatically
  2. Health bill could get 34-hour reading in Senate
  3. Palin met by hundreds in Michigan
  4. PRUDEN: The Third World and Obama
  5. Army lacks guidelines to deal with jihadists in ranks
More Top Stories »
  1. Senate health care bill creates new marriage penalty
  2. Holder suggests acquittal won't free terrorist
  3. EDITORIAL: Get ready to bomb Iran
  4. Dems up pressure on health bill's holdouts
  5. EXCLUSIVE: Taliban chief hides in Pakistan

Listen to Washington Times Radio

  • America's Morning News

    with John McCaslin and Melanie Morgan

Question of the day

Do you think Pakistan has done enough to help us find the terrorists who want to hurt the U.S.?

Blogs & Columns

  • Hot Button Blog

    RNC: Breast cancer recommendations may lead to 'rationing'

  • Belief Blog

    Evangelicals OK civil disobedience

  • Out of Context

    Foods that might kill libido

  • On the Fly

    United lifts some 'award' blocking

  • Technology

    Facebook wins round against phishing spammer

  • Redskins 360

    Rookie Williams hurts ankle

  • SNOBlog

    Beyond 'Woody'

Videos

Advertising Links
TWT Store
  • e-edition
  • Print Edition
  • Weekly Washington Times
TWT Affiliates
  • Middle East Times
  • Golf
  • UPI
  • Arbor Ballroom
  • Washington Times Global
  • About TWT
  • Press Room
  • F.A.Q.
  • Work for TWT
  • Advertise
  • Sponsors
  • Contact Us
  • Privacy Policy
  • Site Map

All site contents © Copyright 2009 The Washington Times, LLC.