Laura Ling, Freed Journalist, said, "Thirty hours ago Euna Lee and I were prisoners in North Korea. We feared that at any moment we could be sent to a hard labor camp. And then suddenly we were told that we were going to a meeting. We were taken to a location and when we walked in, through the doors, we saw standing before us President Bill Clinton... We were shocked but we knew instantly in our hearts that the nightmare of our lives was finally coming to an end."

Speaking on the White House lawn, US President Barack Obama said the administration is extraordinarily relieved that the pair has been set free.

Barack Obama, US President, said, "I had an opportunity to speak with the families yesterday, once we knew that they were on the plane. The reunion that we have all seen on television, I think, is a source of happiness, not only for the families but for the entire country."

Ling was later seen entering her mother's home in the Los Angeles suburb of Toluca Lake, while Lee was spotted going into her home in Los Angeles.

(CCTV August 6, 2009)