Advertisement

We need your help now

Support from readers like you keeps The Journal open.

You are visiting us because we have something you value. Independent, unbiased news that tells the truth. Advertising revenue goes some way to support our mission, but this year it has not been enough.

If you've seen value in our reporting, please contribute what you can, so we can continue to produce accurate and meaningful journalism. For everyone who needs it.

The deceased Kim Jong Nam, left, and his half-brother, North Korean leader Kim Jong Un. Shizuo Kambayashi, Wong Maye-E
Get Out

Malaysia expels North Korean ambassador over Kim murder

He is expected to leave Malaysia within 48 hours.

MALAYSIA HAS EXPELLED North Korea’s ambassador, giving him 48 hours to leave the country as a diplomatic row deepened over the assassination of the half-brother of Pyongyang’s leader.

Kim Jong-Nam, 45, was poisoned on 13 February at Kuala Lumpur International Airport with VX, a nerve agent so deadly that it is classed as a weapon of mass destruction.

The dramatic killing has sharply soured relations between Malaysia and North Korea, which has not acknowledged the dead man’s identity, vehemently protested the murder investigation and accused Kuala Lumpur of being in cahoots with its enemies.

Arch-rival South Korea has blamed the North for the murder, citing what they say was a standing order from leader Kim Jong-Un to kill his exiled half-brother who may have been seen as a potential rival.

“The expulsion of the DPRK (North Korea) Ambassador is… an indication of the government’s concern that Malaysia may have been used for illegal activities,” Malaysia’s foreign ministry said in a statement.

“The ambassador has been declared persona non grata” after Malaysia demanded but did not receive an apology over Pyongyang’s attack on its investigation of the case, the statement added.

“He is expected to leave Malaysia within 48 hours.”

The row erupted last month when Malaysian police rejected North Korean diplomats’ demands to hand over Kim’s body.

Ambassador Kang Chol reacted by saying that the investigation was politically motivated and that Kuala Lumpur was conspiring with “hostile forces”.

Malaysia then summoned Kang for a dressing-down over his accusation, with Prime Minister Najib Razak describing the ambassador’s statement as “totally uncalled for (and) diplomatically rude”.

Malaysia also recalled its envoy to Pyongyang and has cancelled a rare visa-free travel deal with North Korea, putting the skids under once cozy ties.

The rift widened on Thursday when a senior North Korean diplomat leading a delegation to Kuala Lumpur reiterated Pyongyang’s assertion that Kim had died of a heart attack, dismissing the use of a nerve agent.

The foreign ministry statement said that on February 28 the government had already issued Pyongyang a same-day deadline for a written apology over Kang’s accusations.

“No such apology has been made, neither has there been any indication that one is forthcoming,” it added. “For this reason, the Ambassador has been declared Persona Non Grata.”

© – AFP, 2017

Read: U2 top Irish Rich List with a combined wealth of €645 million

Your Voice
Readers Comments
7
    Submit a report
    Please help us understand how this comment violates our community guidelines.
    Thank you for the feedback
    Your feedback has been sent to our team for review.
    JournalTv
    News in 60 seconds