Richardson to the rescue in North Korea?

Could New Mexico Gov. Bill Richardson be sent to North Korea to broker a deal to free two jailed journalists? It’s a very realistic possibility that he may help in the release of Current TV reporters Euna Lee and Laura Ling who were sentenced to twelve years in prison after being accused of spying.

In an interview on NBC yesterday, the ex-presidential candidate admitted that “talk of envoy is premature” though the White House “has reached out to me for advice and I've spoken with the families":

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Richardson is no novice to diplomacy in North Korea after having previously served as the U.S. ambassador to the U.N. He also acted as an unofficial envoy to the Asian country and was able to secure the release years ago of several U.S. citizens held in Pyongyang.

Aside from Richardson, there is speculation that former Vice President Al Gore could be sent to North Korea. Despite being the founder of Current TV, Gore has been strangely silent over the ordeal experienced by Lee and Ling.

Online Sources- Huffington Post, AP, MSNBC, New York Daily News, Politics Daily