United States Army Private Travis King has landed at a US military base in Texas after being expelled from North Korea following his surprise dash across the heavily militarised border two months ago.
King arrived on a US military flight early on Thursday, landing at Kelly Field at Joint Base San Antonio-Fort Sam Houston, CNN cited a US defence department official as saying.
Television footage showed a group of people leaving a plane at the base.
King is expected to undergo a medical review at Brooke Army Medical Centre, a hospital at Joint Base San Antonio-Fort Sam Houston.
Basketball star Brittney Griner was treated there in December after a prisoner swap with Moscow ended her 10 months in Russian detention.
The US government has said that upon his return King will undergo evaluation before a reintegration process so he can be reunited with his family.
King, 23, ran into North Korea from the South on July 18 while on a civilian tour of the heavily fortified border and was immediately taken into North Korean custody.
It was unclear if King would face disciplinary action by the US army, which has treated his case with care.
The army has not so far called him a deserter, even though he crossed the border without authorisation while on active duty.
For its part, North Korea appears to have treated his case as one of illegal immigration.
North Korea's KCNA state news agency said King told Pyongyang he entered North Korea illegally because he was "disillusioned about unequal US society".
The Swedish government, which represents US interests in North Korea because Washington has no diplomatic presence in the country, retrieved King in North Korea and brought him to China.
The State Department said the US ambassador to Beijing, Nicholas Burns, met King in Dandong, China, a city bordering North Korea.
King then flew from there to Shenyang, China, then to Osan Air Force Base in South Korea, before continuing his voyage back to the US.
King, who joined the army in January 2021, faced two allegations of assault in South Korea.
He pleaded guilty to one instance of assault and destroying public property for damaging a police car during a profanity-laced tirade against Koreans, according to court documents.
He had been due to face more disciplinary measures when he arrived back in the US.
In July, King had finished serving military detention and was at the airport awaiting military transport to his home unit in the US.
Instead, he left the airport and joined a tour of the border area, where he ran into North Korea despite attempts by South Korean and US guards to stop him.
While details about the diplomacy that led to King's transfer remained scarce, the positive resolution of the case was a rare example of co-operation between the US, North Korea and China.
US officials, citing US diplomatic representatives who saw King as he was departing China, told reporters he appeared to be in good health and spirits and was "very happy" to be on his way home.
He was able to speak with his family after his release from North Korea.
His release followed months of intense diplomacy, the US officials said, adding that no concessions were made to the North in exchange for King.
Jonathan Franks, spokesman for King's mother Claudine Gates, said: "Ms Gates will be forever grateful to the United States army and all its interagency partners for a job well done."