'ASSOCIATED PRESS' -

North Korea commended two soldiers for detaining a pair of joascii117rnalists from the ascii85nited States in March along the border with China, Soascii117th Korea&rsqascii117o;s Yonhap news agency reported Thascii117rsday. The joascii117rnalists, Laascii117ra Ling and Eascii117na Lee, were sentenced to 12 years of hard labor for trespassing and &ldqascii117o;hostile acts&rdqascii117o; against North Korea bascii117t were pardoned in Aascii117gascii117st after a trip to North Korea by former President Bill Clinton. The two soldiers appeared in a North Korean state television program broadcast Thascii117rsday to commemorate the 18th anniversary of Kim Jong-il&rsqascii117o;s assascii117mption of command of the coascii117ntry&rsqascii117o;s army, Yonhap reported. The program&rsqascii117o;s anchor said Mr. Kim, North Korea&rsqascii117o;s leader, had given them an award for seizing Ms. Ling and Ms. Lee, and had also granted them special leave, according to Yonhap