Euna Lee is currently imprisoned, along with her colleague Laura Ling, in a North Korean labor camp. In June, the two Current TV journalists were sentenced to 12 years of hard labor for entering the country illegally and committing “hostile acts.”
It is a story that has grabbed headlines and inspired demonstrations. And while the public tracks developments in the case, the two women exist as images on posters and newscasts.
On Monday, though, Mallika Chopra, an author and blogger, posted a story to the lifestyle website Intent that provides some insight into Euna Lee’s character. Chopra recounts a recent dinner that she shared with Lee’s husband Michael…
Michael chuckled as he told us about an urgent message he had received from Euna.
Euna had asked her guards if she could pass her message onto the Swedish Ambassador, who has been the girls only source of contact and information. (The Swedish ambassador has met Laura and Euna – separately – only 4 times in their 4 months of captivity. The girls are not being held together.)
She was granted permission by the N. Korean officials. The Swedish Ambassador then passed on the message to the US State Department, who then contacted Michael.
Euna wanted to make sure that Michael had sent in the registration form for Hana for summer school. Euna had chosen the Korean immersion school for her daughter, but was scared her husband would forget to send in the form!
Hearing this story brought tears to my eyes. Sitting in captivity half way around the world, a mom is still a mom. Coordinating schedules, thinking about whats best for your child, and worrying that your husband will forget something! More…