Euna Lee's Daughter Worries Mommy Will Leave Again

by Julia Halewicz (Subscribe to Julia Halewicz's posts)
Aug 13th 2009 1:00PM

Filed under: In The News, Media, Amazing Parents

Reporter Euna Lee is reunited with her husband Michael Saidate and daughter Hana. Credit: Robin Beck, AFP/Getty Images

The story of American journalist Euna Lee's imprisonment in a North Korean jail meant many things to many people. Most importantly, her daughter.

For political pundits, Lee was a symbol of the increasingly antagonistic relationship between the United States and North Korea.

For journalists, she was a hero for braving the unknown to get a good story.

But for Lee's four-year-old daughter, Hana, she was simply a mommy who went to the airport for work and didn't come home. A week after her release, Lee has written a thank you letter on Facebook that describes life since her return and the affect of her absence on Hana.

"I am slowly fulfilling the wish list that I made in North Korea one item at a time," the 36-year-old mom wrote in the letter, which appeared on LauraandEuna.com.

Lee is finally able to dance and jump with Hana and brush her daughter's hair -- all the things she dreamed of during her five-month incarceration with fellow journalist Laura Ling, reports People.com. That Lee would be dreaming of making scrambled eggs with her daughter should come as no surprise, considering Lee endeared herself to mothers everywhere when, in July, she sent a message to her husband from jail reminding him to sign up Hana for summer school.

While her time home has been filled with the simpler pleasures of motherhood, Hana has revealed new found insecurities. "If you don't listen, mommy will go to the airport," Lee heard the little girl tell one of the family cats. Lee candidly admitted that Hana will take some time to trust that her mother won't disappear again.

For all of us who have fantasized about escaping the drudgery of the everyday, let Lee serve as a reminder that dancing and jumping with your child is the stuff that makes for a full life.

ReaderComments (Page 5 of 12)

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8-13-2009 @ 3:05PM

Mike said...

I feel bad for the little girl, but thank God she has her mom back. However, I have to say that I believe these two women got themselves into a real mess when they went near the DMZ. I know they are journalists, but they risked everything, including their freedom and lives, by going near this hostile area. It was their own fault. I'm glad they were released but hope they learn a lesson and don't put themselves at similar risk in the future.

8-13-2009 @ 3:09PM

Kenneth Dandurand said...

Melissa 8-13-2009 @ 2:02PM
That poor little girl....and her mother must feel horrible! Through no fault of her own, she was taken from her child for way too long (5 months is a lot of growing up and new things going o
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No fault of her own? Maybe she will keep her dumb a-- out of those countries. Besides, she was probably guilty anyway. I have no pitty for her. Her daughter, yes, but not the mom.

8-13-2009 @ 3:11PM

zman said...

There are a lot of people that spew their "stupidity and hate" and then there are people that express some intelligence. What I gleamed from this article is to let Eunlee serve as a "reminder that dancing and jumping with your child is the stuff that makes for a full life."

Surely we can all agree on this....

z

8-15-2009 @ 9:19AM

Russell said...

ok, so its wrong for her to go off and do the job she went to college for, trained for, and loves, leaving her husband and young child. BUT, its ok for other women and men to do it all the time, truck driving, river boat operators, fishermen, armed forces...etc...she was doing her job that she was trained for and getting paid for..concept those on here who have judged her, might want to considering doing as well.

8-13-2009 @ 3:18PM

amberwitt1 said...

Exactly - Her working may have been something they discussed and he chose to be a stay-at-home dad

8-13-2009 @ 3:15PM

Portia said...

Well, I am sick of seeing a bunch of self righteous "know-it-alls" criticise these women for doing their jobs. If you can't empathize or have a little compassion, then just STFU !

Kathy Taylor said...

WHAT IS WRONG WITH ALL Y'ALL? YOU BITCH AND MOAN ABOUT THE PRESS NOT TELLING ITS READERS THE TRUTH AND WHEN A "FEMALE"JOUNALIST GOES AFTER THE TRUTH AND GETS KIDNAPPED U BITCH AND MOAN THAT SHE SHOULD'VE NOT GONE? IF YOU DON'T LIKE THE HEAT GET OUTTA THE KITCHEN AND IF YOU WERE TOLD TO GET THAT STORY OR RISK BEING FIRED AND YOU WERE A 2 ND INCOME THAT WAS NEEDED TO MAKE ENDS MEET AND DIDN'T HAVE THAT SALARY TO RELY ON WHERE WOULD U BE? WOULD U TELL OUR WOMEN MARINES, ARMY AND NAVY WOMEN TO STAY HOME REGARDLESS OF ORDERS? I THINK NOT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! AND PLEASE GET REAL

8-13-2009 @ 4:03PM

hollystarr said...

The difference there is she would have just lost her job. I am sure she could get another job with her education and talent. The consequences for disobeying orders or going UA while in the military are much more than just losing a job. I was a young mother that HAD to leave for deployment and I left a baby behind. And believe me if they told me I could quit, just quit the Navy and not go I would have, but for the military it is just not that simple.

I am glad she is safe and back home with her family. It is terrible what happened, but if I was in her shoes I would have quit my job before going after a story that could possibly put me in danger. No job is worth never seeing my kids and family again. That is why once I served my time and my CONTRACT was up with military I got out.

Vicki B.

My husband leaves for a year or more at a time, each and every time I worry that he won't come home, and yet I know, its a part of his job.. How dare you ridicule her!
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You are dead wrong. It is not the same thing. And how dare YOU say that no one can ridicule her. You don't know crap.

Retired E-7

8-14-2009 @ 12:31PM

Lori said...

this's such a heart-warming story. I totally feel for the little girl and her mom. sure, Euna didn't do the safest thing in the world, but she was doing what she was right. there are some things that you just have to do to make the world a better place. Poor Hana though. i mean, it was five whole months and that is a lot for a toddler without a mom. this kindergartner had to stay with my family for a week and trust me when I say she missed her mom every single day, despite my efforts to make her feel at home.

8-13-2009 @ 3:17PM

jmbulluck said...

Does your husband go on the other side of the world to break another country's laws.....didn't think so, so don't compare the two. She's just selfish to put a good story before her family.

echo4Texas said...

Dear Fred, responding to Gus, you tell me I am off the mark yet you are trusting the words of 1) a Hollywood Mogul 2) A worm who swore under oath he did not have sex with that woman 3) an idiot who says large carbon footprints are going to drown Polar Bears while having one of the biggest carbon footprints in the world and 4) A COMMUNIST DICTATOR!!!! Are you daft? This whole thing was staged for headlines for Clinton and Gore. They waved a fat carrot in front of these two nitwit women and bang, two twits supposedly in prison. They were probaby drinking lattes.

8-13-2009 @ 3:20PM

The people you mentioned are not going on the other side of the world to break the law. NO COMPARISON.

8-13-2009 @ 3:26PM

Katie said...

Journalist my eye! These ladies were a couple of spies that the North Koreans weren't dumb enough to believe their cover story! Why else would such big hitters such as Clinton and Gore go halfway around the world to secure their release. Wonder what they had to trade to get these "@#$*$#" back!

happyclaw said...

For what?!? To get a good story?!? So, now she's a hero? WTF

thesby tolbert said...

next time keep your ass out of an unwelcomed country like north koera.next time we won't have to spend our tax dollars and risk troops lives on stupid people like you euna to get your ass out.what your hefer butt wanted was attention saying that you went to a comminst nation.there are more people like you in the usa that go to unwanted nations then get taken hostage causing our troops to use force to get them out which means a war!that's how most wars start!

8-13-2009 @ 3:30PM

June said...

I can't believe you people. She was there to do a story on human trafficking, human trafficking for God's sake. She wasn't there for a day at the spa. You'd never say such hateful things if they were male journalists. It's absolutely heartbreaking to hear what this did to her child, but the fact is her mother came home. Yes, it will take her daughter some time to trust that she'll come back the next time she leaves for work and to understand what happened to her mother wasn't anything she did, but in time she will. The really amazing thing is that she'll know what a brave thing her mother did and the risks she took to make us all aware of the awful things happening to other people in this world. I see her mother as a hero and I wish I had her courage.

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Euna Lee's Daughter Worries Mommy Will Leave Again