Clapper, who flew back with the two freed men to an airbase in Washington state yesterday, conducted talks with senior North Koreans but stayed less than a day and never met Kim, a US senior administration official said.
Kenneth Bae and Matthew Miller landed at Joint Base Lewis-McChord late yesterday where they were greeted by friends and family, following their surprise release.
"This was a very unique opportunity to bring home two Americans," the official said, adding that Clapper spent roughly a day in North Korea with the "sole purpose" of obtaining the two men's release.
The official said the North Koreans had floated the possibility of a release several weeks ago and had requested a senior American official.
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Clapper was chosen for his experience with Korean issues and because as a national security official and non-diplomat, the visit would fall outside the realm of diplomacy, the administration official said.
North Korea has expressed interest in the past in reviving six-party talks with the US and others about its nuclear program, but Washington insists Pyongyang must first show a tangible commitment to denuclearization.
The mission "was not to pursue any diplomatic opening," the administration official emphasized, adding that Clapper re-affirmed to North Korea that it must de-nuclearize before further talks could occur.
Bae, a Korean-American missionary, marked the two-year anniversary of his detention earlier this week.
The sickly 46-year-old was arrested in November 2012 and later sentenced to 15 years' hard labor.
Miller, 24, had been sentenced to six years' hard labor by the North Korean Supreme Court following his arrest in April, after he allegedly ripped up his visa at immigration and demanded asylum.