Euna Lee's Daughter Worries Mommy Will Leave Again

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

Categories: Toddlers, In The News, Media

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.

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Comments (240)

Reader Comments (Page 1 of 12)

Linda 8-13-2009 @ 2:56PM

Too bad she didn't put her child's needs first before she left to get her 'story'.

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 on) and missed so much, and she can never get those months back. God bless her and her family, and Laura and her family as well, because they went through hell too, just in different ways.

lily 8-13-2009 @ 3:18PM

lee went willingly (and illegally) into a hostile country and knew what would happen if she got caught. unluckily for her she got caught. it was her own fault.

jmbulluck 8-13-2009 @ 3:15PM

If she was a good parent she wouldn't have left the child to go sneak into a country that she knew she shouldn't be in. I feel sorry for the child but I think the mother should still be in jail.

yaquigohome 8-13-2009 @ 3:55PM

1 word, no 2! Al Gore! These women were pawns...

theitalian 8-13-2009 @ 4:39PM

Interesting some posters say she was just doing her job, why should she have to give that up, etc. BUT...when you decide to have children, there are certain things you must sacrifice for the welfare of your kids. Having it all is a myth. Sometimes extreme adventure/risky jobs are one of those sacrifices you have to make, like it or not. But one doesn't have to give them up forever...you can always go back to taking risks when the kids are grown and aren't dependent on you. Geez, no one wants to make any sacrifices anymore for family. Can this be perhaps why so many children are screwed up?

BARBARA 8-13-2009 @ 4:41PM

" THRU NO FAULT OF HER OWN?" WHOS FAULT WAS IT? NORTH KOREAS? OF COURSE IT WAS HER MOTHERS FAULT...SHE KNEW BETTER...SHE KNEW WHAT COULD HAPPEN ...SHE TOOK THE RISK OF DOING THIS TO HER CHILD AND IT BLEW UP ON HER. THEY ADMITTED...THEY BROKE THE LAW AND CROSSED OVER...LISA LING DID THE SAMETHING...BUT DIDNT GET CAUGHT....WHY DO THEY HAVE THE RIGHT TO DO THIS? SHE KNEW WHAT COULD HAPPEN...BUT A " STORY" WAS WORTH THE RISK SHE TOOK...AND PUTTING HER DAUGHTER THRU THIS...SHAME ON HER....SHE DOESNT DESERVE TO HAVE A CHILD SHE ABUSED THE RIGHT TO HAVE A CHILD.

gino 8-13-2009 @ 4:50PM

no fault of her own!!?? typical liberal american IDIOT.. LETS GO TO N KOREA OR BETTER YET IRAN AND POKE THEM TIL THEY ARREST US THEN WE'LL BOOHOO TIL WE GET HELP ... SHUT UP

Grow Up 8-13-2009 @ 5:20PM

Maybe she should have thought of the impact to her child before she illegally entered a foreign Country. She was a criminal. Full Stop!!!!!

echo4Texas 8-13-2009 @ 5:49PM

You an Idiot. Do you have the same attitude when a man has to be a way from his kids or when a woman files divorce because she isnt happy and takes the kid away from the dad? The Mom knew what she was doing and she didnt care about the kid then or now.

paymyownway 8-13-2009 @ 7:05PM

EUNA LEE is the MOST SELFISH person I can think of. She SNUCK into North Korea and now wants to play, "POOR ME?"

And she'll get her wish (books-movies) thanks to Bill Clinton who siezed the OPPORTUNITY to be a HERO!

Typical DEMOKRAPS!

I think we should hire the North Koreans to GUARD OUR BORDER! They shoulda' kept Euna Lee....

me 8-13-2009 @ 8:01PM

No fault of the mother???? Did you not get these reporters were there illegally. that means they should hve beem there!!! the mom is damn lucky ole Bill went and got her.

This is what is wrong with our country maybe if we sent our illeagal to hard labor they would stay home!

ninainindia 8-14-2009 @ 6:04AM

No fault of her own? She stepped into North Korea by her own free will!

gimmea6 8-13-2009 @ 2:10PM

What the hell was she doing running around on the Chinese-North Korea border when she has a family with a young child!? Idiot! Shame on her. Put your damned career on hold for a while and raise your child properly.

Tina 8-13-2009 @ 2:15PM

I TOTALLY AGREE WITH YOU GIMMEA! WHY IS SHE ENTERING ANOTHER COUNTRY ILLEGALLY!?!?!

STAY HOME AND DO WHAT'S RIGHT FOR YOUR FAMILY - DO'NT GO TO F'D UP COUNTRIES WITH A CHANCE OF YOU NOT RETURNING.

DUMB ASSES.

frozenmage25 8-13-2009 @ 2:26PM

She was writing a story about women and human trafficking in Asia, which almost never gets any attention at all. It's not a surprise that Euna is compelled to investigate, considering she is a mother of a girl. The exact details of the story will never be revealed. We only know a handful of details and that's from the accounts of the two women. Also, I believe Euna's husband is also capable raising a child too. Sheesh.

Dawn 8-13-2009 @ 2:28PM

Had it been a man you would not have said "put your career on hold"...

Horsecrazy4272 8-14-2009 @ 1:32PM

Everyone is entitled to their own opinion, but can we all have some respect for this family? Calling her an idiot or dumbass is NOT being respectful of this family. They have suffered enough without your criticism.

She was doing her job. Why is it fair for a person to give up their aspirations when they have a family? Can't we have both? She didn't expect to be captured and sentenced to a labor camp. She didn't expect to be away from her child for 5 months.

Can't we all just be understanding and respectful of the people involved?