Australian student released from North Korea in 'good spirits'

An Australian student has been released after spending a week in detention in North Korea.

Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison interrupted Parliament on Thursday to announce that Alek Sigley was now "safe and well" in Beijing after being "released from detention in the Democratic People's Republic of Korea".

He later said in a statement that Swedish authorities had helped secure the student's release.

It is unclear why the 29-year-old, who was pursuing a master's degree and running a tourism business in Pyongyang, was held in the country.