North Korean envoy Kang Cho is surrounded by journalists as he leaves Malaysia. [Yonhap News Photo]
North Korea said it has decided to expel the Malaysian ambassador to Pyongyang in a deepening row over the killing of the half-brother of the North's leader Kim Jong-un.
The North's official KCNA news agency said Pyongyang designated the Malaysian envoy as "persona non grata" and ordered the envoy to leave the country within 48 hours from 10 a.m. on Sunday. The report came shortly after the North's ambassador to Malaysia was heading home after being expelled from the Southeast Asian country over his criticism against Malaysia's probe into the death of Kim Jong-nam.
The Malaysian ambassador to North Korea, Mohamad Nizan Mohamad, was already recalled last month for consultations as the two nations are locked in a bitter war of words over the killing.
Before boarding a flight for Beijing, the main transit point toward Pyongyang, on Monday, Kang Chol, the North Korean envoy, voiced strong regrets over his expulsion, repeating that the probe was biased. Kang described his expulsion as an "extreme measure" that could undermine bilateral ties between North Korea and Malaysia, while arguing that his criticism over Malaysia's investigation into the killing of Kim Jong-nam was "fair."
Earlier last week Malaysia canceled a visa-free travel deal with Pyongyang in response to the North's criticism that Malaysia colluded with South Korea for its probe into the killing of Kim Jong-nam.
Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak told reporters on Monday that his country has decided to expel Kang in a bid to defend its sovereignty and national pride, according to Malaysia's New Straits Times. The prime minister said Kang should have apologized for making baseless allegations against Malaysia, but has yet to do so, the report added.
(Yonhap)
reporter
Park Sae-jin
swatchsjp@ajunews.com
