Pyongyang had snapped ties over extradition of a criminal suspect to the U.S.
North Korean diplomats vacated their Embassy in Malaysia and were expelled on Sunday, after the two nations cut diplomatic relations in a spat over the extradition of a North Korean criminal suspect to the United States.
The North Korean flag and Embassy signage were removed from the premise in a Kuala Lumpur suburb. Two buses ferried the diplomats and their families to the airport, where they boarded a flight to Shanghai.
Malaysian Foreign Minister Hishammuddin Hussein said the expulsion was in response to Pyongyang’s “unilateral and utterly irresponsible decision” on Friday to sever diplomatic ties.
“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,” he said in a statement.
Ties between both countries have been virtually frozen since the 2017 assassination of the estranged half brother of North Korean leader Kim Jong-un at Kuala Lumpur International Airport.
Two days after Kuala Lumpur extradited a North Korean man to the U.S. to face money laundering charges, a furious North Korea on Friday announced it was terminating ties with Malaysia. In a tit-for-tat response, Malaysia gave North Korean diplomats 48 hours to leave.
Kim Yu Song, the Chargé d’Affaires and Councillor in Kuala Lumpur, said Malaysia had “committed an unpardonable crime.” Echoing Pyongyang’s statement, he accused Malaysia of being subservient to the U.S. and being part of a U.S. conspiracy aimed at “isolating and suffocating” his country.
