Malaysia has ordered the North Korean envoy out of the country following the murder of Kim Jong-nam, the half brother of North Korean Leader Kim Jong-un. Malaysia said on Saturday it was expelling the North Korean ambassador, escalating a diplomatic row between the two countries over the murder of the estranged half-brother of North Korean Leader Kim Jong-un.

Start the conversation, or Read more at CBC News. </s> Malaysia summoned the North Korean ambassador today for a dressing-down over Pyongyang’s attack on its investigation into the assassination of leader Kim Jong-Nam’s brother, deepening a diplomatic row. Five North Koreans are in the frame for last week’s airport killing, drawing a furious response from Pyongyang which has accused Kuala Lumpur of conspiring with “hostile forces” to damage its reputation. Malaysia recalled its envoy to Pyongyang and also summoned the North Korean ambassador to Kuala Lumpur, who was told his accusation was “baseless”, the foreign ministry said in a statement. “The ministry emphasised that as the death occurred on Malaysian soil under mysterious circumstances, it is the responsibility of the Malaysian government to conduct an investigation to identify the cause of death,” it said.

The row erupted when Malaysian police rejected North Korean diplomats’ demands to hand over the body of Kim Jong-Nam after he was apparently poisoned at Kuala Lumpur’s international airport.

Ambassador Kang Chol last week told reporters outside the morgue where Jong-Nam’s body is being held that Malaysia was being pressured by South Korea in a bid to defame its northern neighbour.

Seoul has pointed the finger of blame for the attack at the North, citing a “standing order” from Kim Jong-Un to kill his elder sibling and a failed assassination bid in 2012 after he criticised the regime.

“The Malaysian government takes very seriously any unfounded attempt to tarnish its reputation,” the statement said, after the ambassador’s meeting with Deputy Secretary General for Bilateral Affairs Raja Nushirwan Zainal Abidin.

The Malaysian ambassador in Pyongyang has also been recalled to Kuala Lumpur for consultations, the statement said.

Police said yesterday they believed five North Koreans were involved in the killing, with four having fled the country on the day of the murder.

Officers have already arrested one North Korean living in Kuala Lumpur, an Indonesian woman and her Malaysian boyfriend, as well as a Vietnamese woman.

Three more North Koreans were wanted for questioning, police said. The drama erupted last week as Jong-Nam prepared to board a plane to Macau, where he has been living in recent years. Malaysian police say the 45-year-old was jumped by two women who squirted liquid in his face.

Jong-Nam suffered a seizure and died before arriving at hospital.

He was once thought to be the natural successor to his father, the then-North Korean leader Kim Jong-Il.

But after Jong-Il’s death in 2011 the succession went instead to his younger half-brother Kim Jong-Un. </s> Malaysia has expelled the North Korean ambassador to the country, declaring him "persona non grata" and asking the diplomat to leave Malaysia within 48 hours.

The move on Saturday comes nearly three weeks after Kim Jong-nam, the estranged half-brother of North Korean leader Kim Jong-un, was murdered at Kuala Lumpur's airport with a toxic nerve agent.

US and South Korean officials have said he was killed by agents of the North Korean regime.

Kang Chol, North Korea's ambassador to Malaysia, said last month his country "cannot trust" Malaysia's handling of the probe, and also accused the country of "colluding with outside forces" in a veiled reference to bitter rival South Korea. </s> The Malaysian government has expelled North Korea's ambassador after he criticised the investigation into the killing of Kim Jong Nam, the half brother of leader Kim Jong Un.

In a statement Malyasia's foreign minister Anifah Aman said a notice was sent to the North Korean Embassy on Saturday informing it that ambassador Kang Chol must leave the country within 48 hours.

He said that earlier in the week, Malaysia demanded North Korea apologise for criticising the investigation into the killing of Kim at Kuala Lumpur International Airport on February 13.

Aman said no apology had come and none appears forthcoming, so Malaysia has decided to expel the ambassador.

Kang had said Malaysia may be "trying to conceal something" and that the autopsy on Kim was carried out "unilaterally and excluding our attendance". </s> North Korea’s ambassador to Malaysia on Monday denounced the country’s investigation into the death of the exiled half brother of North Korea’s ruler, calling it politically motivated and demanding a joint probe amid increasingly bitter exchanges between the once-friendly nations.

Malaysia responded with its own accusations, with a foreign ministry statement saying the ambassador’s comments were “culled from delusions, lies and half-truths.” Earlier Monday, Malaysia said it was recalling its ambassador to Pyongyang.

The diplomatic spat comes in the wake of the death last week of Kim Jong Nam, who died after apparently being poisoned in the Kuala Lumpur airport.

The attack spiraled into diplomatic fury when Malaysia refused to hand over Kim’s corpse to North Korean diplomats and proceeded with at least one autopsy over the diplomats’ objections.

“The investigation by the Malaysian police is not for the clarification of the cause of the death and search for the suspect, but it is out of the political aim,” North Korean Ambassador Kang Chol told reporters Monday, saying Malaysia was in collusion with South Korea, as Seoul tries to deflect attention from its own months-long political crisis.

Police “pinned the suspicion on us, and targeted the investigation against us,” Kang said, calling on Malaysia to work with North Korea in a joint investigation. Kang referred to the dead man as “Kim Chol,” the name on the passport found with Kim Jong Nam.

Malaysia Prime Minister Najib Razak told reporters later Monday that he had confidence in the objectivity of his country’s police and doctors.

Malaysia had no reason to “paint the North Koreans in a bad light,” he said, adding, “We expect them to understand that we apply the rule of law in Malaysia.”

Over the weekend, Kang said Malaysia may be “trying to conceal something,” an accusation that led the Malaysian foreign ministry to recall its ambassador to Pyongyang “for consultations” and summon Kang to a meeting.

Police have so far arrested four people carrying identity documents from North Korea, Malaysia, Indonesia and Vietnam. Those arrested include two women who were allegedly seen approaching Kim on Feb. 13 as he stood at a ticketing kiosk at the budget terminal of the Kuala Lumpur airport.

Surveillance video, obtained by Japan’s Fuji TV and often grainy and blurred, seems to show the two women approaching Kim Jong Nam from different directions that morning. One comes up behind him and appears to hold something over his mouth for a few seconds.

Then the women turn and calmly walk off in different directions. More video shows Kim, a long-estranged half-brother of North Korea’s ruler, walking up to airport workers and security officials, gesturing at his eyes and seemingly asking for help. He then walks alongside as they lead him to the airport clinic.

Fuji TV has not revealed how it acquired the video, which was taken by a series of security cameras as Kim arrived for a flight to Macau, where he had a home.

Kim, who was in his mid-40s, died shortly after the attack, en route to a hospital after suffering a seizure, Malaysian officials say.

Investigators are still looking for four North Korean men who arrived in Malaysia on different days beginning Jan. 31 and flew out the same day as the attack. The four were travelling on regular — not diplomatic — passports, Malaysia’s deputy national police chief, Noor Rashid Ibrahim, told reporters.

Indonesian officials said three of those men transited through Jakarta after the apparent assassination, leaving on a nighttime flight to Dubai.

Dubai police and the Dubai government media office did not immediately respond to requests for comment. State-owned airline Emirates declined to comment, citing policies on passenger confidentiality.

Police said they also want to question three other people. Noor Rashid said one was North Korean, but that police had not yet identified the other two. It was not clear if they were suspects or simply wanted for questioning.

Autopsy results on Kim Jong Nam could be released as early as Wednesday, said Health Minister S. Subramaniam.

Investigators want to speak to Kim Jong Nam’s next of kin to formally identify the body. He is believed to have two sons and a daughter with two women living in Beijing and Macau.

According to police, the Indonesian woman is a spa masseuse and the Malaysian man, a caterer, is believed to be her boyfriend. The Vietnamese woman works at an entertainment outlet and the North Korean man works in the information technology department of a Malaysian company, they said.

The Indonesian woman has told investigators that she was duped into thinking she was part of a comedy show prank.

The Malaysian foreign ministry said the government has kept the North Korean Embassy informed, telling them that because “the death occurred in Malaysian soil under mysterious circumstances, it is the responsibility of the Malaysian government to conduct an investigation to identify the cause of death.”

South Korea has been quick to blame North Korea for the death of Kim Jong Nam, who as the eldest son of the late dictator Kim Jong Il was once seen as the ruler-in-waiting of the isolated nation. However, he fell out of favour more than a decade ago, and has spent most of his time since then living in China or Southeast Asia.

The attack “showed the reckless and brutal nature of the North Korean government,” South Korean Prime Minister Hwang Kyo-ahn said Monday during a National Security Council meeting. </s> SEOUL, South Korea — 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.

That was followed quickly by Malaysia saying North Korean embassy staff were barred from leaving its country. Malaysia had already expelled the North Korean ambassador on Monday.

The North’s Foreign Ministry told the Malaysian Embassy in Pyongyang that it would temporarily ban the exit of Malaysian citizens now in the North, according to the official Korean Central News Agency.

It said the exit ban will be valid “until the safety of the diplomats and citizens of (North Korea) in Malaysia is fully guaranteed through the fair settlement of the case that occurred in Malaysia.”

Malaysia is pursuing several North Korean suspects allegedly involved in the killing, including a diplomat at the North’s Embassy in Kuala Lumpur. Malaysia has not accused the North of being behind the killing of Kim Jong-nam at Kuala Lumpur’s airport three weeks ago, but South Korean has.

Malaysian Deputy Foreign Minister Reezal Marican told reporters at parliament that there are 11 Malaysians in North Korea: Three working at the Malaysian Embassy, two United Nations workers and six family members.

The North said Malaysian diplomats and citizens “may work and live normally under the same conditions and circumstances as before” during the period of the temporary exit ban.

It also said that the Malaysian ambassador would be expelled, although he has already been recalled to Malaysia.

Kim Jong-nam died less than 20 minutes after two women wiped VX nerve agent on his face at Kuala Lumpur airport on Feb. 13, authorities say. The women, one from Vietnam and one from Indonesia, have been charged with murder.

North Korea has denied any role in the killing and accused Malaysia of conspiring with its enemies. North Korean Ambassador Kang Chol rejected a Malaysian autopsy that found Kim was killed with VX, a banned chemical weapon.

On Monday, Malaysian Prime Minister Najib Razak said the decision to expel Kang sent a clear message.

“It means that we are firm in defending our sovereignty and dignity,” Najib said. “Don’t ever insult our country and don’t try to cause disruptions here.”

Malaysian authorities declared Kang “persona non grata” on Saturday and gave him two days to leave the country. He arrived late Monday afternoon at the Kuala Lumpur airport, where he told reporters that Malaysia was doing “great harm” to the countries’ relations.

Malaysia’s finding that VX killed Kim boosted speculation that North Korea was behind the attack. Experts say the oily poison was almost certainly produced in a sophisticated state weapons laboratory, and North Korea is widely believed to possess large quantities of chemical weapons, including VX.

North Korea is trying to retrieve Kim’s body, but has not acknowledged that the victim is Kim Jong-un’s half brother, as Malaysian government officials have confirmed.

Ri Tong Il, a former North Korean deputy ambassador to the United Nations, has said Kim probably died of a heart attack because he suffered from heart disease, diabetes and high blood pressure. Health Minister Subramaniam Sathasivam said pathologists have ruled that out.

The two women accused of poisoning Kim say they were duped into thinking they were taking part in a harmless prank.

Malaysia is looking for seven North Korean suspects, four of whom are believed to have left the country on the day of the killing. The three others, including an official at the North Korean Embassy and an employee of Air Koryo, North Korea’s national carrier, are believed to still be in Malaysia. </s> Malaysia has recalled its ambassador to North Korea, with tensions over the investigation into the suspicious death of leader Kim Jong-un's half-brother boiling over.

The southeast Asian country had summoned North Korea's representative to Malaysia over disparaging comments he allegedly made about its probe into the death of Kim Jong-nam.

In a press conference, the ambassador insinuated the Malaysian government had "something to conceal".

Malaysia dismissed the claims as "baseless" and criticised attempts to "tarnish" its reputation.

A week on from Kim's death sudden death at Kuala Lumpur airport - where he is believed to have been poisoned - a number of arrests have been made, including those of female and male suspects.

Grainy video has now also emerged from the airport purportedly showing the moment Kim was attacked by two women last Monday.

But with tensions continuing to escalate between the two countries as the investigation continues, Malaysia has decided to recall its ambassador from North Korea's capital, Pyongyang.

The results of an autopsy into the death of Kim, the eldest son of previous North Korean leader Kim Jong-il, are yet to be published.

Over the past week, a number of agencies and officials have thrown their weight behind speculation that North Korea orchestrated the death of Kim, once seen as a future leader of the country before dramatically falling out of favour.

Video footage has now emerged and been published by a Japanese newspaper which appears to show two women approach Kim from different directions as he stands at a ticket booth in the airport.

One of the women comes up behind him and appears to hold something over his mouth for a few seconds.

The women then turn and walk off in different directions.

Kim is later seen seeking out help from airport workers and security officials, before being led to an airport clinic.

On Monday, however, with the investigation continuing, Malaysia's foreign ministry announced it was recalling its ambassador from North Korea "for consultation".

Meanwhile, the country has also summoned Kang Chol, North Korea's ambassador to Kuala Lumpur, "to seek an explanation on the accusations he made against the Government of Malaysia".

Kang said Malaysia may be "trying to conceal something" and that the autopsy on Kim was carried out "unilaterally and excluding our attendance".

Malaysia has since said it takes "very seriously" any attempts at tarnishing its reputation. </s> Media playback is unsupported on your device Media caption The CCTV footage shows a woman in white lunging at a man

Malaysia has stepped up diplomatic measures against North Korea in an escalating row over the killing of Kim Jong-nam, the half-brother of North Korea's leader Kim Jong-un.

Kim Jong-nam died in mysterious circumstances last week at an airport in the Malaysian capital Kuala Lumpur.

Police believe he was poisoned.

Malaysia has recalled its ambassador from the North Korean capital Pyongyang and has summoned the North Korean ambassador "to seek an explanation".

Malaysian police say they are now looking for four North Koreans.

North Korea's ambassador to Kuala Lumpur, Kang Chol, told reporters that he did not trust the Malaysian inquiry.

"It has been seven days since the incident but there is no clear evidence on the cause of the death and at the moment we cannot trust the investigation by the Malaysian police even though its results [have yet to be] obtained.

"It only increases the doubt that there is someone else's hand behind the investigation."

Image copyright Reuters Image caption North Korea's ambassador, Kang Chol, said he did not trust the Malaysian probe

He said that the incident had been "politicised" and referred to the victim as Kim Chol - the alias used by the dead man.

Malaysia responded that the North Korean diplomat's allegations were based on "delusions, lies and half-truths".

In a statement, Foreign Minister Anifah Aman said that any suggestion police were not conducting an independent or impartial investigation was "deeply insulting to Malaysia"

Malaysia's prime minister earlier defended the country's police, saying he expected North Korea "to understand that we apply the rule of law in Malaysia".

Meanwhile a video which apparently shows CCTV footage of the attack on Kim Jong-nam has surfaced and aired on Japanese television.

Despite widespread speculation that North Korea was behind the killing, there has been no definitive evidence and Pyongyang is yet to issue an official statement.

South Korea has accused the North of orchestrating the incident, saying on Monday it was evidence of North Korean "terrorism getting bolder".

What has led to the diplomatic spat?

Malaysia was one of very few countries which had relatively friendly relations with North Korea. Reports say it was the first country to enjoy visa-free travel to the isolated nation.

But this killing has strained ties.

Malaysia has refused to accede to North Korean demands to release Kim's body into their custody without an autopsy.

In comments on Friday, Mr Kang, the North Korean ambassador, said Malaysia was colluding with "hostile forces". Malaysia's foreign ministry said his accusation was "baseless", adding that it was their responsibility to conduct an investigation as Kim had died on Malaysian soil.

Image copyright Reuters Image caption One North Korean man has already been arrested in connection with the case

What's happening to Kim's body?

Malaysian authorities are now waiting for the results of its post mortem, which may come as early as Wednesday, the health minister said.

Kang Chol said his country would reject the result as it was performed without the presence of its representatives.

Malaysia also says it needs to conduct DNA testing first.

Police are now seeking samples from family members. Kim is believed to have family living in Beijing and Macau.

Malaysian police have said that if there is no claim by next of kin and once they exhaust all avenues for DNA collection, they will hand the body over to the North Korean embassy.

Who has been arrested so far?

Kim is believed to have been attacked in the Kuala Lumpur airport departure hall on Monday by two women, using some form of chemical.

Fuji TV has aired grainy CCTV footage showing a man resembling Kim Jong-nam being approached by a woman at the airport.

Another woman then quickly lunges from behind and wipes his face with a cloth. She is seen wearing a white top emblazoned with the letters "LOL".

Image copyright REX/Shutterstock Image caption This CCTV image has been broadcast by South Korean and Malaysian media

The man is then seen seeking assistance from airport staff while gesturing at his face, and is escorted to a room.

Two women, one Indonesian and one Vietnamese, were among the first to be arrested. The Indonesian, named as Siti Aisyah, is said to have told Malaysian police she had been paid to perform what she thought was a prank.

Police have also detained one North Korean suspect, Ri Jong-chol, and said they are looking for four more men, who may have already left the country.

The men have been named as Ri Ji Hyon, 33; Hong Song Hac, 34; O Jong Gil, 55, and Ri Jae Nam, 57.

Image copyright AFP Image caption Hong Song Hac, 34, and Ri Ji Hyon, 33, are wanted by Malaysian police

Who was Kim Jong-nam?

Kim was the first-born son of former North Korean leader Kim Jong-il, who died in 2011.

He was largely estranged from his family, after being passed over for the North Korean leadership in favour of his youngest half-brother.

He went into exile in the early 2000s, spending most of his time in Macau, mainland China and Singapore.

Image copyright Getty Images Image caption Deceased North Korean leader Kim Jong-il (left) with his first-born son Kim Jong-nam (right) in a 1981 family photo

Kim had spoken out in the past against his family's dynastic control of North Korea. In a 2012 book he was quoted as saying he believed his younger half-brother lacked leadership qualities.

But he had also said he was not interested in assuming the leadership himself. </s> Media playback is unsupported on your device Media caption Why was North Korea's Kim Jong-nam killed?

Malaysia has expelled North Korea's ambassador after he criticised its investigation into the killing of the North Korean leader's half-brother.

Kang Chol must leave within 48 hours, Malaysia's foreign ministry says.

It demanded an apology after the envoy said North Korea could not trust Malaysia's handling of the inquiry, but says it did not receive one.

Kim Jong-nam, the half-brother of Kim Jong-un, died three weeks ago at a Kuala Lumpur airport.

Malaysia has not directly blamed North Korea for the attack, in which two women smeared the nerve agent VX on Mr Kim's face. But there is widespread suspicion Pyongyang was responsible.

Mr Kang, who had become a fierce critic of his host country, said the inquiry into the killing had become "politicised" and was being interfered with.

The Malaysian Foreign Minister, Anifah Aman, declared the ambassador "persona non grata" and said his country had demanded an apology for the comments, but this was not forthcoming.

"Malaysia will react strongly against any insults made against it or any attempt to tarnish its reputation," Mr Anifah said in a statement.

The North Korean representative also failed to turn up for a meeting at the Malaysian foreign ministry on Saturday, he added.

Image copyright Reuters Image caption North Korea's ambassador was declared "persona non grata" by Malaysia

Malaysia is seeking to question several North Koreans, including an embassy official, over the death of Kim Jong-nam.

Two women, one from Vietnam and another from Indonesia, have been charged with murder. They both said they thought they were taking part in a TV prank but are yet to make a formal plea in their case.

The expulsion of the envoy also comes after the government announced an investigation into a company called Glocom, which has been operating in Malaysia for several years.

According to a confidential UN report, Glocom is run by North Korea's top intelligence agency to sell military communications equipment, in violation of UN sanctions.

Earlier on Saturday, a North Korean suspect questioned in connection with the case was released due to insufficient evidence.

Malaysia was one of very few countries that had relatively friendly relations with North Korea.

But it cancelled visa-free travel for visiting North Koreans in the wake of the killing, citing security reasons. It had already recalled its ambassador in Pyongyang as it investigated the case.

North Korea has not yet confirmed that the body is that of Kim Jong-nam, acknowledging him only as a North Korean citizen. Mr Kim was travelling using a passport under a different name.
Malaysia recalls its ambassador from North Korea amid an ongoing dispute over the alleged assassination of Kim Jong-nam by North Korean agents in the country.