Carter, a Nobel peace laureate, was said to be traveling as a private citizen, similar to that by former U.S. President Bill Clinton last August when he secured the release of two female U.S. journalists detained there for illegal entry. He had visited the DPRK in 1994.

Former U.S. President Jimmy Carter (left C) hugs with the U.S. man Aijalon Mahli Gomes (right C) at an airport in Pyongyang, the Democratic People's Republic of Korea, Aug. 27, 2010. Former U.S. President Jimmy Carter left Pyongyang Friday, taking home the U.S. man Aijalon Mahli Gomes detained in the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) since January for illegal entry.[Yao Ximeng/Xinhua]

According to the KCNA, during Carter's trip, he made an apology to Kim Yong Nam, president of the Presidium of the Supreme People's Assembly, for Gomes' illegal entry and gave the assurance that such incident will never happen again.

He also asked Kim to convey to top DPRK leader Kim Jong Il a message courteously requesting him to grant special pardon to Gomes to leniently forgive him and let him go home.

The KCNA said after receiving a report on the request made by the U.S. government and Carter, Kim Jong Il issued an order of the chairman of the DPRK National Defence Commission on granting amnesty to Gomes.

DPRK says willing to resume six-party talks

During Carter's stay in the DPRK, he also met senior DPRK officials and discussed "the pending issues of mutual concern between the DPRK and the U.S.," according to the KCNA news agency.

During a meeting with Carter, Kim Yong Nam, president of the DPRK's Presidium of the Supreme People's Assembly, "expressed the will of the DPRK government for the denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula and the resumption of the six-party talks," during a meeting with Carter during the latter's stay in Pyongyang.

The former U.S. president also met with DPRK's foreign minister and vice foreign minister for U.S. affairs on the DPRK-U.S. relations, the resumption of the six-party talks, the denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula and other issues of mutual concern.

Carter also watched a performance given by the State Symphony Orchestra.

The KCNA said Carter's visit "provided a favorable occasion of deepening the understanding and building confidence between the two countries."