Malaysia expels North Korea ambassador over Kim murder

Malaysia expels North Korea ambassador over Kim murder

Malaysia has expelled North Korea ’ s ambassador , giving him 48 hours to leave the country in a major break in diplomatic relations over the airport assassination of the half - brother of Pyongyang ’ s leader .
Kim Jong - Nam was poisoned February 13 with deadly nerve agent VX . North Korea has not acknowledged the dead man ’ s identity but has repeatedly disparaged the murder investigation , accusing Malaysia of conniving with its enemies .
“ The ambassador has been declared persona non grata ” after Malaysia demanded but did not receive an apology for Pyongyang ’ s attacks on the investigation , Malaysia’ s Foreign Minister Anifah Haji Aman said .
“ Malaysia will react strongly against any insults made against it or any attempt to tarnish its reputation, ” he said in a statement released late Saturday.
Ambassador Kang Chol failed to present himself at the ministry when summoned and “ is expected to leave Malaysia within 48 hours, ” the statement added.
On Sunday morning , media besieged Pyongyang ’ s embassy , from where Kang is expected to depart before the expulsion deadline expires 6 pm on Monday .
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 foreign ministry said the expulsion is “ part of the process by the Malaysian government to review its relations ” with North Korea, which before Kim ’ s assassination were unusually cosy.
“ North Korea must learn to respect other countries , ” Malaysia’ s Deputy Prime Minister Ahmad Zahid Hamidi said Sunday .
The expulsion shows “ we are serious about solving this problem and we do not want it to be manipulated , ” he added .

— ‘ Diplomatically rude ’ —

The diplomatic spat erupted last month when Malaysian police rejected North Korean diplomats ’ demands to hand over Kim’ s body .
Kang then claimed the investigation was politically motivated and said Kuala Lumpur was conspiring with “ hostile forces ”.
Malaysia summoned Kang for a dressing - down , with Prime Minister Najib Razak saying the ambassador ’ s statement was “ diplomatically rude ” .
Malaysia issued a February 28 deadline for an apology , but “ no such apology has been made , neither has there been any indication that one is forthcoming . ”
Malaysia has also recalled its envoy to Pyongyang and cancelled a rare visa-free travel deal with North Korea .
Police are seeking seven North Korean suspects in their probe but on Friday released the only North Korean arrested for lack of evidence.
After Ri Jong - Chol was deported, he claimed police offered him a comfortable life in Malaysia for a false confession , saying the investigation was “ a conspiracy to impair the dignity of the Republic ( North Korea )” .
Two women — one Vietnamese and one Indonesian — have been charged with murdering Kim Jong - Nam , with airport CCTV footage showing them approaching the heavyset 45 - year- old and apparently smearing his face with a cloth .
Police say he suffered a seizure and died less than 20 minutes later . Swabs of the dead man ’ s face revealed traces of VX nerve agent .

— End of cosy ties —

North Korea had few friends even before the assassination , but the fallout from the killing looks set to further isolate the nuclear - armed state .
Malaysia formally established diplomatic relations with North Korea in 1973 and opened an embassy in Pyongyang in 2003 .
It has provided a conduit between Pyongyang and the wider world in recent years , with Kuala Lumpur serving as a discreet meeting place for talks between the regime and the United States .
A recently released report by a UN Panel of Experts reviewing compliance with sanctions against Pyongyang identified a front company run by North Korean intelligence out of Malaysia, selling military communications equipment to Eritrea , with suppliers in China and an office in Singapore .
Up to 1 , 000 North Koreans currently work in Malaysia and their remittances are a valuable source of foreign currency for the isolated regime .
North Korea imports refined oil, natural rubber and palm oil from Malaysia, which buys electrical and electronic items , chemicals as well as iron and steel products from North Korea .
Last week Malaysia’ s trade minister Mustapa Mohamed said the spat would have no impact on Kuala Lumpur as trade with the reclusive country is “insignificant” .