Negotiations will now begin for the release of two journalists sentenced to 12 years of hard labor for crossing the border into North Korea.

Officials captured Laura Ling and Euna Lee in March for illegally crossing the border from China. U.S. officials believe the country may try to use the women as a bargaining chip on negotiations over its nuclear program. The United Nations may punish the country for an atomic test launched last month. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton says this is a humanitarian issue and should be treated seperately from the atomic test issue.