North Korea has expelled an American soldier who entered the country from South Korea through the demilitarized zone in July.

Travis King was escorted to the Chinese border with the help of Swedish diplomats and handed over to the United States ambassador and a senior miliary officer on Wednesday.

He then flew out to a US miliary base.

"We can confirm that Private King was very happy to be on his way home," a senior US administration official told reporters. "He is very much looking forward to seeing his family."

Earlier, North Korea's state news agency announced that Pyongyang decided to expel King, who was in good health.

Last month, Pyongyang confirmed it was holding King, saying he had defected to North Korea to escape "mistreatment and racial discrimination in the US Army."

Intense behind-the-scenes diplomacy resulted in his release.

The Private Second Class soldier figured in a drunken pub fight, an incident with police and a stay in South Korean jail before he crossed the DMZ.
From the jail, King was being taken to the airport in July to fly back to Texas.

He was traveling to Fort Bliss for disciplinary hearings when he snuck away, joined a DMZ sightseeing trip and slipped over the border.

Pyongyang said King illegally intruded into the DPRK, the Korean Central News Agency said Wednesday, using the North's formal acronym.