N. Korea says 2 U.S. journalists will be freed

Announcement of pardon comes after Bill Clinton meets with Kim Jong Il

North Korean leader Kim Jong Il, left, speaks with former President Bill Clinton in Pyongyang on Tuesday.

North Korean leader Kim Jong Il has pardoned two jailed American journalists and ordered their release following an unannounced meeting with former President Bill Clinton, the North's state media said Wednesday.

The release of Laura Ling and Euna Lee was a sign of North Korea's "humanitarian and peace-loving policy," the Korean Central News Agency reported.

Clinton met with the reclusive and ailing Kim on Tuesday, shortly after landing in the capital Pyongyang. It was Kim's first meeting with a prominent Western figure since his reported stroke nearly a year ago.

SEOUL,

South Korea