HARSH

North Korea Sentences American

To 15 years in hard-labor camp.

Bill Clinton, any chance you’re going to meet Kim Jong-un any time soon? North Korea sentenced U.S. citizen Kenneth Bae to 15 years in a hard-labor camp for so-called crimes against the state. Bae, who was born in South Korea, but is a naturalized U.S. citizen, was arrested while visiting North Korea as a tourist. The reasons behind his arrest are unclear, although some have speculated that he was arrested after taking pictures of starving children. The harsh sentence could be that he will end up as a bargaining chip for North Korea, as relations between the communist country and the U.S. have continued to deteriorate. But it’s an even harsher sentence than the one given to two American journalists in 2009, when Bill Clinton had to personally negotiate for their release.