US welcomes release of citizen by North Korea

The US State Department has welcomed North Korea's decision to release an American citizen.

"We are pleased that Merrill Newman has been allowed to depart North Korea and re-join his family," spokesperson Marie Harf said in a statement.

"We welcome North Korea's decision to release him," Marie Harf added.

The spokesperson called for Pyongyang to set free Kenneth Bae, a 45-year-old Korean-American who was detained in the country in November last year and sentenced to 15 years of hard labour for "hostile acts" against the country in April.

"This positive decision by North Korea throws into sharper relief the continuing detention of Kenneth Bae, who has been in North Korea's custody for over a year," Harf said.

"We call on North Korea once again to pardon and grant Bae special amnesty and immediately release him as a humanitarian gesture so that he too can return home to his family," she added.

Newman, an 85-year-old US Korean War veteran, was detained by North Korea after he entered the country as a member of a tourist group Oct 17.

Pyongyang accused him of committing "hostile acts" against the country under the guise of a tourist, claiming last week that he had apologised for alleged crimes during the 1950-53 Korean War and "espionage and subversive activities" against the country during his recent trip.