Two American citizens released from captivity in North Korea have enjoyed an emotional reunion with their families after arriving home in the US.

Kenneth Bae and Matthew Miller flew into the Joint Base Lewis-McChord military base in Washington State at about 9pm local time.

Mr Bae, 46, disembarked the plane with a suitcase, then smiled as he hugged and embraced his family.

He was followed by 24-year-old Mr Miller who was greeted by his parents. Both men had close-cropped hair.

Mr Bae thanked President Barack Obama and the North Korean government for his freedom.

He told reporters: "It's been an amazing two years, I learned a lot, I grew a lot, lost a lot of weight - in a good way - but I'm standing strong because of you and thank you for being there in such time as this."

When asked about his health, Mr Bae said he was still recovering. His family had expressed concern about his health during his detention, saying he had diabetes, an enlarged heart, deteriorating vision and back and leg pains.

US officials said the pair flew back with James Clapper, the director of national intelligence. Mr Clapper was the highest-ranking American to visit Pyongyang in more than a decade.

Earlier, President Barack Obama hailed the latest releases as "wonderful," as State Department officials said there had been no "quid pro quo" deal with North Korea to secure the men's freedom.

Convictions

Mr Bae, a missionary from Washington state, had been detained in North Korea since November 2012, while Mr Miller had been held since April.

Mr Bae was jailed for 15 years following his conviction for crimes against the state in a trial that he said lasted an hour. In August he said that his health had deteriorated after being held at a labour camp, where he was forced to work for eight hours a day.

Mr Miller, from Bakersfield, California, was sentenced to six years of hard labour after he was accused of tearing up his visa at Pyongyang airport and shouting that he wanted to seek asylum.

The pair were released less than a month after Jeffrey Fowle, awaiting trial for leaving a Bible in a sailing club in the northern port city of Chongjin, was freed.

A State Department spokeswoman thanked the Swedish government for "tireless efforts" behind the scenes to secure the pair's freedom.

The prisoner releases are being seen as part of a North Korean campaign to counter UN charges of widespread human rights abuses and the prospect of a referral to an international tribunal.

"North Korean policy continues to zig-zag," said Stephan Haggard, a North Korea expert at the University of California in San Diego.

"After pursuing a charm offensive aimed at restarting North-South talks and even a human rights dialogue, North Korea shut those initiatives down following the tabling of a strongly worded human rights resolution at the UN General Assembly.

"But the release of Miller and Bae suggests an effort to keep channels for dialogue open."