Kenneth Bae's family thanks God for his freedom

UPDATE: Shortly after Kenneth Bae stepped off the plane that brought him from North Korea back to freedom in the United States, his family gathered around him, joined hands, and bowed their heads in prayer.

Bae, a missionary working as a tour guide, spent two years in a North Korean labor camp after the nation’s highest court convicted him of anti-government activities.

Less than 24 hours after her brother landed at Joint Base Lewis-McChord in Washington state, Terri Chung told reporters waiting outside her Seattle church only one person deserved credit for Bae’s release: “First and foremost we thank God.” Chung also thanked President Barack Obama and other American officials who advocated for her brother’s freedom and the many people around the world who prayed for him.

During brief remarks after he arrived on Saturday, Bae also thanked the president and the North Korean government for agreeing to let him go.

“It’s been an amazing two years, I learned a lot, I grew a lot, I lost a lot of weight,” he said. Chung said her brother bears no ill-will toward North Korea for detaining him.

Family members feared for Bae’s health throughout his imprisonment. He has diabetes and an enlarged heart. He spent part of his sentence in a North Korean hospital. He told reporters who asked about his health that he was recovering.

Chung said the family was surprised by how healthy Bae appeared when he arrived home. He spent the last two weeks of his confinement in a hospital, which helped, she said.

Bae has not talked much about his time in North Korea, Chung said. But he did tell them he didn’t want any Korean food on his first night home. The family ate pizza instead. Chung said they are planning a big Thanksgiving celebration in a few weeks, when Bae will be reunited with his wife and children.

American officials said the North Korean government did not demand any concessions for releasing Bae and Matthew Miller, the other American who returned home Saturday. A North Korean court sentenced Miller to six years in prison for espionage after he allegedly tore up his visa and asked for asylum shortly after arriving in the country. Analysts are hopeful the Americans’ release, most certainly authorized by dictator Kim Jong-Un, signals a renewed interest in improving relations with the West.

OUR EARLIER REPORT (Nov. 8, 11 a.m.): North Korea has freed the last two known Americans in detention there. Kenneth Bae and Matthew Miller are on their way home, accompanied by Director of National Intelligence James Clapper, a spokesperson for Clapper said.

Bae, a Korean-American missionary was imprisoned in November 2012 while leading a tour group through the special economic zone of Rason in North Korea. He was sentenced to 15 years in a labor camp for anti-government activities. His detention is one of the longest of an American in North Korea in recent history. He suffers from poor health, including diabetes and liver problems, which made his imprisonment that much more difficult.

Matthew Miller, 24, from Bakersfield, Calif., was convicted Sept. 14 of entering North Korea illegally and sentenced to six years of hard labor. At his 90-minute trial, North Korea’s Supreme Court said Miller admitted he wanted to experience prison life so he could secretly investigate North Korea’s human rights situation.

Bae and Miller were the last two known Americans held in North Korea after the release of Ohio resident Jeffrey Fowle in October. Fowle was arrested on accusations he left a Bible in a nightclub. The North Koreans let him go before trying or sentencing him. The Swedish government helped negotiate Fowle’s release.

The New York Times noted that Clapper’s participation was outside the usual scope of his role. It’s also atypical for a high-ranking U.S. official to be directly involved in dealings with the North Korean government, which does not have formal diplomatic relations with North Korea. It’s unclear whether Clapper negotiated the release directly with the government of dictator Kim Jong-Un, which could signify a shift in the nature of the two countries’ relationship.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.