Kenneth Bae, one of two Americans held captive in North Korea spent his first night at home with his family on Saturday after years of imprisonment.

He landed at a Washington state military base after a top US intelligence official secured their release.

The first to greet him was his mother - an emotion his sister Terri Chung said was overwhelming.

"We had agreed that my mom would hug him first. When I saw that I just "Wow!" she said.

Chung said her brother had stipulated 'no Korean food' for his first meal back home, she said he wanted "a burger or a pizza."

A composite file showing Choson Sinbo interview TV grab image provided by the YonhapNews showing Kenneth Bae (L), a 45-year-old Korean-US citizen known as a Christian missionary, and a picture released by the North Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) on 15 September 2014 showing US citizen Matthew Todd Miller (R). Reports on 08 November 2014 state the two US citizens who had been detained in North Korea, one since 2012, have been released, the US Office of the Director of National Intelligence said. Kenneth Bae and Matthew Todd Miller are currently en route to their respective homes, the office said in a statement. [File photo]

She said Bae was in better shape when he arrived than his family had expected and that he had spent about six weeks in a North Korean hospital before he returned and they had no idea "what condition" they were going to find him in.

"He'd gone back and forth between the labour camp and hospital multiple times in the last two years." she said.

Chung said her brother still has a "tremendous heart" for the people of the North Korea, but she said she has no idea what the future holds for him.

Chung said she is just glad he is back home.

"I'm thankful that for now he seems to be doing remarkably well. He's in good spirits," she said.

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