Friends of Laura Ling share their experiences

2009-08-10T09:00:56Z

The Sacramento Press has followed the timeline of journalists Laura Ling and Euna Lee since their detainment in North Korea, covering some of the vigils that took place in Sacramento.

Ling was born and raised in Carmichael and her ties to the Sacramento community brought enormous support for the two women throughout their ordeal.

Following Bill Clinton's visit with Kim Jong Il, Ling and Lee were pardoned and allowed to return home. The Sacramento Press interviewed two of Ling's friends to hear what it was like for them during Ling's absence.

Cheryll Marsh and Stephanie Tomasegovich met Ling in seventh grade at Barrett Middle School in Carmichael. Marsh met Ling through the school's drill team and Tomasegovich met Ling because of their shared love of New Kids on the Block.

Friendships made in middle school proved to be instrumental in the campaign and efforts to get Ling and Lee back home safely.

On March 17, when Ling and Lee were arrested on charges of spying and illegal entry into North Korea, both Marsh and Tomasegovich heard the shocking news while at work. Tomasegovich came across the story via the Internet and Marsh's mother called her on the phone.

“I was in complete shock, in disbelief,” Marsh said. Her first thought was, “How do we get her out?”

“I didn’t believe the severity of it,” Tomasegovich said.

“I was going to do something," Marsh said. "I wasn't going to just sit around.”

Tomasegovich sent a letter to Michelle Obama appealing to her as a mother, since Lee is also a mother of a girl.

Marsh sent letters to officials in North Korea and to President Barack Obama pleading for the release of the two journalists. Both women sent numerous postcards to Ling, and Marsh wrote emails to Ling even though she knew she wasn’t able to read them.

One of her emails read, “I’m thinking about you. I think about you every single day.”

Both Marsh and Tomasegovich were put under the media spotlight because of their friendships with Ling. The two spoke on radio programs and at the vigils in Sacramento.

Tomasegovich was not a fan of all the media attention. “I did not like it," she said. "I was unprepared, [but] I did it for Laura.”

Tomasegovich made bracelets similar to the Live Strong bracelets. She passed out the baby blue bracelets that said “Keep Hope Alive” to everyone she knew and sent them to Lisa Ling, Laura's sister, in L.A.

For Tomasegovich, the most difficult part was a feeling of helplessness. She said she hated not being able to help Ling and wondering what her family was feeling every minute of the day. She also felt guilty about having her life continue to go on knowing what Ling was going through.

Marsh said the most difficult part of Ling being away was not knowing anything, especially at the beginning. She admitted it was very discouraging because no one knew what to do.

"The turning point [was] when I met with an old friend of the Ling [family], a friend of Laura's and Lisa's mom at a cafe in San Francisco," she said. "I had a new sense of purpose. [I thought to myself] stop being sad, there needs to be action!"

On Aug. 4, the news of Ling and Lee's release reached the two friends.

Marsh described her reaction as “the most amazing feeling.” She said that their release was “a dream that I kept on playing in my head,” and her heart lifted when the dream became a reality.

Tomasegovich was in the midst of a trial as a juror. She received the news from her brother while on her lunch break. She yelled out to the jury, “You guys, she’s coming home!”

She also made it a point to tell the judge presiding over the trial. “The judge announced it to the court and everyone cheered,” Tomasegovich said.

Both friends agreed that the media played a huge role in keeping the Ling and Lee story on the public’s mind and in bringing them home.

“As much as people hate the media, the more they were annoying, the better it was for them,” Tomasegovich said.

Tomasegovich recently lost her job and her sister-in-law pointed out that everything happens for a reason. Had she been employed full-time, she might not have been able to appear on TV and speak on the radio.

In a Facebook message, her sister-in-law said, “Life needed you and you were there.”

Both women have been celebrating the safe return of their long-time friend, but neither have spoken to or seen Ling since her return.

“She needs her privacy,” Marsh said.

“She’ll give me a call when she’s ready," Tomasegovich said.

12 Year Sentence Spurs Sacramento Vigil

2009-07-08T04:11:18Z

On June 8, American Journalists Laura Ling and Euna Lee were sentenced to 12-years of "labor reform" by North Korea. This Thursday a candlelight vigil will be held on the Capitol west steps in peaceful protest.

On April 27 a vigil was held for Laura Ling and Euna Lee to raise awareness for the two journalists' detainment in North Korea. This time it is in support of the two women who face the notoriously harsh conditions of North Korea's labor camps.

The two American journalists were on assignment for Current TV, a cable and web network co-founded by Al Gore, when they were detained on March 17 and convicted of illegal entry and engaging in "hostile acts" after a four-day trial North Korea's high court.

In a letter invitation to the vigil, Ling's sister, a CNN correspondent and Sacramento native, Lisa Ling, voices her concerns about the women's condition in North Korea.

"What Laura and Euna were trying to do was give a voice to those who have none," writes Ling. "Now their voices have also been silenced. Since their detention, their health has deteriorated quite a bit, we are extremely concerned. We are making a plea for mercy with the hope that they may be released on humanitarian grounds."

Community figures such as Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger, California State President Pro Tem Darrell Steinberg, Mayor Kevin Johnson, "Good Day Sacramento" host Mark S. Allen as well as many other organizations and media are expected to be in attendance. Lee and Ling's sentence has the United States in nationwide protest and vigils will be held in other cities such as Phoenix, San Francisco, Birmingham and Washington, D.C.

Support the Ling family on Thursday evening at the Capitol's West Steps.

WHO: Lisa Ling, the Ling Family, friends and community of Sacramento

WHAT: A community gathering in support of Laura Ling and Euna Lee

TIME: 6:30 to 8 p.m.

WHERE: California State Capitol west steps (10th St. between L and N streets

Newest articles on The Sacramento Press tagged as "north korea"

Friends of Laura Ling share their experiences

12 Year Sentence Spurs Sacramento Vigil