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Jimmy Carter's visit yields freedom for jailed American
by Joseph Ernest August 27, 2010
Newscast Media -- Former US President Jimmy Carter has arrived back in the US with an American whose release by North Korea he won. Mr Carter and Aijalon Gomes touched down in Boston, where their plane was met by Mr Gomes's family.
Mr Gomes, who had been living in South Korea, was jailed in January after crossing into North Korea from China.
The insular nation's state-run news agency said leader Kim Jong-il had granted the former president's request to "leniently forgive" Mr Gomes.
His friends and family applauded when the flight landed at Boston's airport shortly after at 1400 (1800 GMT) on Friday.
Mr Gomes, who appeared thin, embraced his mother and Mr Carter upon walking off the plane. The former president spent two days in the North Korean capital, Pyongyang, before leaving with Mr Gomes, who had been working as an English teacher in South Korea.
The US state department said it welcomed Mr Gomes's release, but also stressed that Washington had played no official role in Mr Carter's trip.
"We appreciate former President Carter's humanitarian effort and welcome North Korea's decision to grant Mr Gomes special amnesty and allow him to return to the United States," state department spokesman Philip Crowley said.
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