NORTH KOREA, MALAYSIA BAN EACH OTHER’S CITIZENS FROM LEAVING
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orth Korea has barred Malaysian citizens from
leaving the country, prompting Kuala Lumpur to quickly respond with a similar
ban amid rising diplomatic tensions between the two sides over the
assassination of the North Korean leader’s half-brother in Malaysia.
All
Malaysian nationals in North Korea “will be temporarily prohibited from leaving
the country until the incident that happened in Malaysia is properly solved,”
the official Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) announced in a Tuesday
report, citing the Foreign Ministry.
The
latest row between Pyongyang and Kuala Lumpur – which have maintained strong
relations for years – came following the killing of Kim Jong-nam last month by
two women using VX nerve agent at an airport in the Malaysian capital.
Malaysia
has not directly put the blame on North Korea for the assassination, but there
is suspicion that Pyongyang had been behind the killing, an accusation strongly
rejected by the North.
The
Malaysian investigation into Kim’s death has also angered Pyongyang, which says
the process is aimed at tarnishing its image. The diplomatic row has seen both
sides declare each other’s ambassadors as “persona non grata,” ordering them to
leave.
Malaysian
authorities have sought a number of North Korean citizens for questioning on
the case, but they only detained one, whom they released and later deported for
lack of evidence. READ MORE
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