Korea Bans Malaysian Residents From Leaving Country, Expels Ambassador

The bitter diplomatic dispute between North Korea and Malaysia over the poisoning death of leader Kim Jong-un’s estranged half-brother escalated dramatically Tuesday, with Pyongyang saying it had banned Malaysians from leaving North Korea. The North Korean government formally expelled Malaysia’s ambassador the same day, though by then his bosses had already called him back to Kuala Lumpur.

Malaysia’s finding that VX killed Kim boosted speculation that North Korea orchestrated the attack.

Najib said he instructed police to prevent all North Koreans from leaving Malaysia until the safety of his citizens is guaranteed.

“This abhorrent act, effectively holding our citizens hostage, is in total disregard of all worldwide law and diplomatic norms”, he wrote on social media today.

Malaysia responded with a travel ban on North Koreans in the country, as police seek to question three men thought to be hiding in the North Korean embassy in Kuala Lumpur.

There was no statement after the meeting, but the prime minister addressed Malaysians’ concerns on social media.

Three of the four projectiles fired Monday came down provocatively close to Japan, in what observers said was a test of US President Donald Trump’s inchoate North Korea policy. A large network of Chinese front companies have been moving cash and gold for North Korea, giving it access to global financial markets, the report said.

The North has never confirmed the dead man’s identity, but has denounced the Malaysian investigation as an attempt to smear it.

The video was posted on the YouTube channel of Cheollima Civil Defence, which describes itself as a group helping North Korean defectors.

The North’s foreign ministry has notified the Malaysian embassy in Pyongyang of the reason for the measure and said it had hoped the case would be swiftly and fairly resolved in order to develop bilateral ties with Malaysia, the North’s KCNA news agency reported.

Malaysia is now banning North Koreans from leaving Malaysia amid growing fallout over the death of Kim Jong Nam.

“They are trying to export Malaysian products to North Korea and vice versa even though they are aware of the restrictions imposed by the United Nations (UN) on their country”, said the source.

It’s not clear how many North Koreans are in Malaysia, but travel to the country was visa-free for North Koreans until Malaysia stopped doing so Monday. The focus, however, was on its embassy staff.

They rolled out yellow ticker-tape reading “do not cross” and initially denied a request from an embassy official to remove the barricade so a auto could leave the compound.

Police later removed the tape and auto blocking the embassy driveway in a sign of easing tensions. “At the moment they are still on because it provides us with a channel”, he told parliament.

“Maybe they are scared to come forward”, Najib said.

Aside from those three suspects, police have said four other wanted North Koreans left Malaysia in the hours after the murder.

Kim Jong Nam was killed at Kuala Lumpur International Airport by being poisoned with VX, a deadly nerve agent, according to Malaysian authorities. He had spoken out publicly against his family’s dynastic rule of North Korea.

South Korean government officials have speculated that Kim Jong Un was behind the killing of his half-brother, a critic of his leadership who had lived outside the country for years.

Malaysian police said the female suspects had been trained to go immediately to the bathroom and wash their hands after attacking Kim.