Los Angeles, Aug 4 (DPA) Former US President Bill Clinton arrived early Wednesday morning at Burbank Airport near Los Angeles, California, after his mission gaining the release of two pardoned American journalists who had been detained since March in North Korea.

Clinton, Laura Ling and Euna Lee had flown from Pyongyjang after the ex-president's previously unannounced 20-hour visit during which he met with North Korean leader Kim Jong Il, who pardoned the two journalists.

Laura Ling and Euna Lee were arrested in March at the Chinese-North Korean border. They were sentenced in June to 12 years of hard labour after North Korea accused them of illegally crossing its border.