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Malaysia expels North Korean diplomats after ties severed
- Foreign Minister Hishammuddin Hussein said the expulsion was in response to Pyongyang’s ‘utterly irresponsible decision’ on Friday to sever ties
- Two days before that decision, Kuala Lumpur had extradited a North Korean man to the US to face money laundering charges
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Associated Pressin Kuala Lumpur
North Korean diplomats vacated their embassy in Malaysia and were expelled on Sunday, after the two nations cut diplomatic relations in a dispute over the extradition of a North Korean criminal suspect to the United States.
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The North Korean flag and embassy signage were removed from the building in a Kuala Lumpur suburb. Two buses ferried the diplomats and their families to the airport, where they were seen checking in for 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.
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Ties between North Korea and Malaysia 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.
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