US welcomes North Korea release of American citizen

US War veteran Merrill Newman, detained by authorities in North Korea for more than a month, has arrived back in San Francisco today.

The tired but smiling veteran of the Korean War was holding the hand of his wife as he thanked the Swedish embassy in Pyongyang, and the US embassy in Beijing for helping to secure his release.

Mr Newman said he was "delighted to be home."

Read: US welcomes North Korea's decision to release citizen

"It's been a great homecoming," he said. "I'm tired, but ready to be with my family."

The 85-year-old was detained in late October at the end of a 10-day trip to North Korea, a visit that came six decades after he oversaw a group of South Korean wartime guerrillas during the 1950-53 war.

US War veteran Merrill Newman, detained by authorities in North Korea for more than a month, has arrived back in San Francisco, Reuters reports.

Read: US detainee in North Korea 'apologises for war crimes'

The United States welcomed North Korea's decision to release American citizen Merrill Newman, who was detained by North Korean authorities in late October on a visit as a tourist to the secretive country, the State Department said in a statement.

"We are pleased that Mr. Merrill Newman has been allowed to depart the DPRK and re-join his family. We welcome the DPRK's decision to release him," said Marie Harf, a State Department spokeswoman.

North Korea said on it has deported Merrill E. Newman, an 85-year old American it has been holding on charges of "hostile acts" against the state, on humanitarian grounds because he has admitted to his wrongdoing and apologised.

The deportation was announced by the North's KCNA news agency.

Mr Newman, who has a soldier during the 1950-53 Korean War and worked with guerrillas fighting against the socialist North, has been held by the Pyongyang regime since late October. He was visiting North Korea as a tourist.