North Korea to release Aussie missionary: report

North Korea today said it would release an Australian missionary detained since last month for allegedly distributing religious materials.

John Short, 75, was detained after distributing religious pamphlets in a Buddhist temple in the capital Pyongyang during a tour, the North's state-run KCNA said.

Korea Central News Agency reports that he has confessed to breaching North Korean law and apologised.

It was reported that the Stalinist state took his age into account when deciding to deport the Christian missionary rather than prosecute him.