Having been granted a “special pardon” thanks to ex-president Bill Clinton, Euna Lee and Laura Ling are finally on their way home.

The women were arrested near the border of North Korean and China in March and have remained imprisoned since. Earlier today, Clinton sat down in a rare meeting with reclusive leader Kim Jong Il, who granted the pardon, as explained by CNN:

Clinton expressed words of sincere apology to Kim Jong Il for the hostile acts committed by the two American journalists against the DPRK after illegally intruding into it,” the news agency reported. “Clinton courteously conveyed to Kim Jong Il an earnest request of the U.S. government to leniently pardon them and send them back home from a humanitarian point of view.

Ling and Lee had originally been sentenced to 12 years in prison, much to the horror of their families and supporters stateside. Thanks to Clinton’s intervention, the Ling and Lee’s families await their arrival in Los Angeles.  The outcome was not a total surprise, though- analyst Mike Chinoy told CNN:

“I suspect that it was made pretty clear in advance that Bill Clinton would be able to return with these two women, otherwise it would be a terrible loss of face for him.”

Related posts:

1. North Korea detains Current TV journalists
2. Hillary Clinton has said Yes to Secretary of State Position: Report
3. CurrentTV journalists detained in North Korea break out the violins

Laura Ling and Euna Lee were detained Tuesday along the Chinese-North Korean border. A Chinese guide working with them was also detained although a third journalist with the group, Mitch Koss, managed to avoid capture, reports AP.

U.S. officials expressed concern and said they were working with the Chinese government to ascertain the whereabouts of the journalists.

The pair is said to have been working with Rev. Chun Ki-won, a South Korean activist who helps North Korean refugees seek asylum prior to making their trip. South Korean media reported that the pair were arrested near the Tumen River in the North of North Korea (map below).

Related posts:

1. CurrentTV journalists detained in North Korea break out the violins
2. North Korea journalist case highlights American hypocrisy
3. Confirmed: North Korean “Earthquake” was a Nuclear Test

Founded in 2005, Current TV is billed as the “the world’s leading peer-to-peer news and information network,” with shows “produced and programmed in collaboration with its audience.” The station broadcasts on cable and satellite networks in the US, UK and Italy.

Valleywag reports a tipster saying that the cuts are being referred to internally as “Bloodbath” but we have no official word from the company as yet. The 32 number also comes from Valleywag, with earlier reports suggesting it may have only been 10 people.

According to BNet, the cuts were being made in Current TV’s San Francisco and Los Angeles offices, and the company may be planning to “drop its shorter UGC videos in favor of the more traditional 30 minute programs that have long dominated television programming across all channels.”

Update: reports suggest the number is 60, but the net is 30 as Current TV has created 30 new positions

Related posts:

1. Virgin Media cuts 15% of workforce
2. CondéNet cuts: Wired.com lays of 25% of staff
3. Hearst may close San Francisco Chronicle unless union accepts cuts