It's unclear why the 31-year-old Gomes, who had been teaching English in South Korea, illegally entered the North in January. Gomes was sentenced to eight years' hard labor, and in July the state-run news agency reported he'd attempted suicide.
The news agency reported Friday that leader Kim Jong Il had granted Carter's request to "leniently forgive" Gomes.
Gomes appeared very thin but smiled as he posed with Carter before leaving North Korea.