N Korea confirms deporting aged US war veteran

North Korea has said it has deported an elderly U.S. tourist and war veteran detained for more than a month for alleged hostile acts against the country.

The 85-year-old, Merrill Newman, had apologized for his alleged crimes during the Korean War and criticism of the North on a recent trip to the country and the decision was taken because of his age and medical condition, ABC News reports.

According to the report, he was taken off a plane on October 26 by North Korean authorities, while preparing to leave the country after a 10-day tour.

However, it was unclear yet where he'd been deported to, the report added.

Pyongyang authorities claimed that Newman apologized for killing North Koreans during the 1950-53 Korean War in a bid to meet surviving guerrilla fighters during the conflict and reconnect them with their wartime colleagues living in South Korea.

Meanwhile, it wasn't clear whether his alleged confession shown on state TV last month was coerced.