"The families of Laura Ling and Euna Lee are overjoyed by the news of their pardon," they said in a statement, which also praised the work of US President Barack Obama's administration.

"We especially want to thank president Bill Clinton for taking on such an arduous mission and vice president Al Gore for his tireless efforts to bring Laura and Euna home.

"We must also thank all the people who have supported our families through this ordeal, it has meant the world to us. We are counting the seconds to hold Laura and Euna in our arms," the statement said.

Clinton secured the release of the two female US journalists after a surprise mercy dash to meet veteran communist leader Kim Jong-Il.

Kim agreed to pardon the TV reporters after Clinton "expressed words of sincere apology," the official Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) reported.

North Korea said Clinton delivered a special message to Kim from Obama during his trip, which followed acute tensions over the North's nuclear and missile tests, but the White House denied this.

Clinton later flew out of North Korea. It was not immediately clear if the pardoned American women were with him.

Ling and Lee were arrested in March while reporting near North Korea's border with China and sentenced in June to 12 years of hard labour.

AFP