US war veteran Merrill Newman released by North Korea

"It is something of a surprise that he was released so quickly"
North Korea has deported a US veteran of the Korean War who had been detained in the country since October.

State news agency KCNA says Merrill Newman was expelled on "humanitarian grounds" after confessing to "crimes" in the 1950-53 war and "apologising".

Mr Newman, 85, had been held on charges of "hostile acts" against the North, while visiting as a tourist.

The US state department welcomed the decision to free Mr Newman, who has now arrived in Beijing.

"We are pleased that Mr Merrill Newman has been allowed to depart the DPRK (North Korea) and re-join his family. We welcome the DPRK's decision to release him," said state department spokeswoman Marie Harf.

"I'm very glad to be on my way home," Mr Newman told Japanese reporters after arriving in the Chinese capital.

"And I appreciate the tolerance the DPRK government has given to me to be on my way. I feel good. I want to go home to see my wife."


Last week, KCNA said Mr Newman had ordered the deaths of North Korean soldiers and civilians in the Korean War.

Although Mr Newman did serve during the Korean War, his family says he is the victim of mistaken identity.

"Please forgive me," Mr Newman asked in a four-page statement, titled "Apology"
'Forgive me'
Mr Newman - a pensioner from Palo Alto, California - had been held in North Korea since being taken off a plane as he prepared to leave the country on 26 October, following a 10-day tourist visit.

In a video released by North Korean authorities last week, Mr Newman was shown reading his alleged apology, dated 9 November.

It claims he was an "adviser of the Kuwol Unit of the UN Korea 6th Partisan Regiment part of the Intelligence Bureau of the Far East Command" - an apparent reference to one of the special operations units acting against the North.Mr Newman apparently confessed to trying to contact surviving soldiers during his trip as a tourist.

The statement added: "Please forgive me."

But Mr Newman's family said there must have been "some dreadful misunderstanding".

Another veteran, also named Merrill Newman, was awarded a Silver Star medal for his efforts during the Korean War.

The North Korean authorities have previously been accused of coercing confessions from detainees.

US Vice-President Joe Biden, while welcoming North Korea's release of Mr Newman as "a positive thing", renewed calls for Pyongyang to free another American, Kenneth Bae, held since November 2012 and sentenced in May to 15 years' hard labour.