SEOUL - North Korea's KCNA news agency reissued an earlier story on Wednesday saying that former U.S. President Bill Clinton had left the country.

It had earlier withdrawn the story on its English language service, but gave no reason. The latest story was issued on both its English and Korean services.

Clinton had flown to Pyongyang on Tuesday to secure the release of two jailed U.S. journalists. The North's leader Kim Jong-il subsequently issued a special pardon for the two. It was not clear whether the two had left with Clinton.

(Reporting by Jonathan Thatcher, Editing by Dean Yates)