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Bloomberg
Malaysia said it expelled all North Korean diplomats in Kuala Lumpur following Pyongyang’s decision to end ties with it.
Foreign Minister Hishammuddin Hussein said Malaysia resorted to the action in response to North Korea’s “unilateral and utterly irresponsible decision to sever diplomatic ties,†according to a statement.
Pyongyang said it was ending relations after a Malaysian court ruled that a North Korean businessman could be extradited to the US to face money laundering charges there. Malaysia, in response, announced it will shut North Korea’s embassy in Kuala Lumpur, the operations of which were suspended since 2017 following the assassination Kim Jong Nam, the half-brother of North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, at the Kuala Lumpur International Airport.
“This action is a reminder that Malaysia shall never tolerate any attempt to meddle in our internal affairs and judiciary, disrespect our governance system, and constantly create unnecessary tensions in defiance of the rules-based international order,†Hishammuddin said.
North Korea and Malaysia has had ties since 1973, but the relationship soured following the murder of Kim Jong Nam.