The Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) has decided to release U.S. citizen Eddie Jun Young Su, who was detained in November, the official KCNA news agency reported Friday.

The DPRK government decided to "set him free from the humanitarian stand" after visiting U.S. human rights envoy Robert King expressed regret about the case, said the KCNA.

Earlier, former U.S. President Jimmy Carter and U.S. evangelist Franklin Graham who visited the DPRK repeatedly asked Pyongyang to leniently pardon Jun.

Jun has been under investigation after he was arrested in November on charges of anti-DPRK crime.

During his detention, the DPRK government allowed Jun to make regular contacts with the consul of the Swedish embassy representing the U.S. interests in the DPRK as well as correspondence and phone calls with his family, according to the KCNA. Pyongyang also gave him hospital treatment for his health reason.