North Korea Frees US Veteran to Return Home

Was held for more than a month

An American veteran who had been held prisoner in North Korea for more than a month was headed back home to the United States on Saturday after his release by the government, which cited his "sincere repentance" for his acts during Korean War.

Merrill Newman, 85, of Palo Alto, Calif., took a flight from Beijing back to the United States after rejecting an offer from Vice President Joseph R. Biden Jr. to travel on Air Force Two on Mr. Biden's later flight from Seoul. Mr. Newman's plane was scheduled to arrive in San Francisco International Airport at 9:05 a.m. local time Saturday.