Clinton calls for release of US journalists

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Play VideoUS journalists sentenced to 12 years in DPRK

US Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton is calling on the DPRK to release two female US journalists who were sentenced to 12 years of labor.

She calls the imprisonment of the two journalists a humanitarian matter.

Clinton says the White House was trying all possible ways through any possible channel to secure their release.

The Secretary of State says attempts to get them released and efforts to get international sanctions against the DPRK are "entirely separate matters."

Twenty-six year old Euna Lee and 32-year old Laura Ling both work for former US Vice President Al Gore's Current TV.

They were arrested on March 17th near the China-DPRK border. Pyongyang accused the reporters of illegally entering the country and committing "hostile acts".

U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton answers questions during a meeting with Turkish Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu, Friday, June 5, 2009, at the State Department in Washington.(AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite)