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> The foreign ministry said the expulsion is ‘part of the process by the Malaysian government to review its relations’ with North Korea.

Kang claimed Malaysia's investigation was politically motivated and said Kuala Lumpur was conspiring with 'hostile forces'. (Photo: AP)

Kuala Lumpur: Malaysia has expelled North Korea's ambassador, giving him 48 hours to leave the country in a major break in diplomatic relations over the airport assassination of the half-brother of Pyongyang's leader.

Kim Jong-Nam was poisoned February 13 with deadly nerve agent VX. North Korea has not acknowledged the dead man's identity but has repeatedly disparaged the murder investigation, accusing Malaysia of conniving with its enemies.

"The ambassador has been declared persona non grata" after Malaysia demanded but did not receive an apology for Pyongyang's attacks on the investigation, Malaysia's Foreign Minister Anifah Haji Aman said.

"Malaysia will react strongly against any insults made against it or any attempt to tarnish its reputation," he said in a statement released late Saturday.

Ambassador Kang Chol failed to present himself at the ministry when summoned and "is expected to leave Malaysia within 48 hours," the statement added. The expulsion deadline expires 6pm on Monday.

Arch-rival South Korea has blamed the North for the murder, citing what they say was a standing order from leader Kim Jong-Un to kill his exiled half-brother who may have been seen as a potential rival.

The foreign ministry said the expulsion is "part of the process by the Malaysian government to review its relations" with North Korea, which before Kim's assassination were unusually cosy.

"North Korea must learn to respect other countries," Malaysia's Deputy Prime Minister Ahmad Zahid Hamidi said Sunday.

The expulsion shows "we are serious about solving this problem and we do not want it to be manipulated," he added.

On Sunday evening, a senior government official who did not want to be named said Kang was still in the country and was expected to leave on a flight to Beijing on Monday.

The diplomatic spat erupted in February when Malaysian police rejected North Korean diplomats' demands to hand over Kim's body.

Kang then claimed the investigation was politically motivated and said Kuala Lumpur was conspiring with "hostile forces".

Malaysia summoned Kang for a dressing-down, with Prime Minister Najib Razak saying the ambassador's statement was "diplomatically rude".

Malaysia issued a February 28 deadline for an apology, but "no such apology has been made, neither has there been any indication that one is forthcoming."

Malaysia has also recalled its envoy to Pyongyang and cancelled a rare visa-free travel deal with North Korea.

Police are seeking seven North Korean suspects in their probe but on Friday released the only North Korean arrested for lack of evidence.

After Ri Jong-Chol was deported, he claimed police offered him a comfortable life in Malaysia for a false confession, saying the investigation was "a conspiracy to impair the dignity of the Republic (North Korea)".

Two women -- one Vietnamese and one Indonesian -- have been charged with murdering Kim Jong-Nam, with airport CCTV footage showing them approaching the heavyset 45-year-old and apparently smearing his face with a cloth.

Police say he suffered a seizure and died less than 20 minutes later. Swabs of the dead man's face revealed traces of VX nerve agent.

North Korea had few friends even before the assassination, but the fallout from the killing looks set to further isolate the nuclear-armed state.

Malaysia formally established diplomatic relations with North Korea in 1973 and opened an embassy in Pyongyang in 2003.

It has provided a conduit between Pyongyang and the wider world in recent years, with Kuala Lumpur serving as a discreet meeting place for talks between the regime and the United States.

A recently released report by a UN Panel of Experts reviewing compliance with sanctions against Pyongyang identified a front company run by North Korean intelligence out of Malaysia, selling military communications equipment to Eritrea, with suppliers in China and an office in Singapore.

Up to 1,000 North Koreans currently work in Malaysia and their remittances are a valuable source of foreign currency for the isolated regime.

North Korea imports refined oil, natural rubber and palm oil from Malaysia, which buys electrical and electronic items, chemicals as well as iron and steel products from North Korea.

Last week Malaysia's trade minister Mustapa Mohamed said the spat would have no impact on Kuala Lumpur as trade with the reclusive country is "insignificant". </s> A statement said that Ambassador Kang Chol failed to present himself at the ministry when summoned and was expected to leave Malaysia within 48 hours. (Photo: AP)

Kuala Lumpur: Malaysia has expelled North Korea's ambassador, giving him 48 hours to leave the country in a major break in diplomatic relations over the airport assassination of the half-brother of Pyongyang's leader.

Kim Jong-Nam was poisoned February 13 with deadly nerve agent VX. North Korea has not acknowledged the dead man's identity but has repeatedly disparaged the murder investigation, accusing Malaysia of conniving with its enemies.

"The ambassador has been declared persona non grata" after Malaysia demanded but did not receive an apology for Pyongyang's attacks on the investigation, Malaysia's Foreign Minister Anifah Haji Aman said.

"Malaysia will react strongly against any insults made against it or any attempt to tarnish its reputation," he said in a statement released late Saturday.

Ambassador Kang Chol failed to present himself at the ministry when summoned and "is expected to leave Malaysia within 48 hours," the statement added. The expulsion deadline expires 6pm on Monday.

Arch-rival South Korea has blamed the North for the murder, citing what they say was a standing order from leader Kim Jong-Un to kill his exiled half-brother who may have been seen as a potential rival.

The foreign ministry said the expulsion is "part of the process by the Malaysian government to review its relations" with North Korea, which before Kim's assassination were unusually cosy.

"North Korea must learn to respect other countries," Malaysia's Deputy Prime Minister Ahmad Zahid Hamidi said Sunday.

The expulsion shows "we are serious about solving this problem and we do not want it to be manipulated," he added.

On Sunday evening, a senior government official who did not want to be named said Kang was still in the country and was expected to leave on a flight to Beijing on Monday.

The diplomatic spat erupted in February, when Malaysian police rejected North Korean diplomats' demands to hand over Kim's body.

Kang then claimed the investigation was politically motivated and said Kuala Lumpur was conspiring with "hostile forces".

Malaysia summoned Kang for a dressing-down, with Prime Minister Najib Razak saying the ambassador's statement was "diplomatically rude".

Malaysia issued a February 28 deadline for an apology, but "no such apology has been made, neither has there been any indication that one is forthcoming."

Malaysia has also recalled its envoy to Pyongyang and cancelled a rare visa-free travel deal with North Korea.

Police are seeking seven North Korean suspects in their probe but on Friday released the only North Korean arrested for lack of evidence.

After Ri Jong-Chol was deported, he claimed police offered him a comfortable life in Malaysia for a false confession, saying the investigation was "a conspiracy to impair the dignity of the Republic (North Korea)".

Two women -- one Vietnamese and one Indonesian -- have been charged with murdering Kim Jong-Nam, with airport CCTV footage showing them approaching the heavyset 45-year-old and apparently smearing his face with a cloth.

Police say he suffered a seizure and died less than 20 minutes later. Swabs of the dead man's face revealed traces of VX nerve agent.

North Korea had few friends even before the assassination, but the fallout from the killing looks set to further isolate the nuclear-armed state.

Malaysia formally established diplomatic relations with North Korea in 1973 and opened an embassy in Pyongyang in 2003.

It has provided a conduit between Pyongyang and the wider world in recent years, with Kuala Lumpur serving as a discreet meeting place for talks between the regime and the United States.

A recently released report by a UN Panel of Experts reviewing compliance with sanctions against Pyongyang identified a front company run by North Korean intelligence out of Malaysia, selling military communications equipment to Eritrea, with suppliers in China and an office in Singapore.

Up to 1,000 North Koreans currently work in Malaysia and their remittances are a valuable source of foreign currency for the isolated regime.

North Korea imports refined oil, natural rubber and palm oil from Malaysia, which buys electrical and electronic items, chemicals as well as iron and steel products from North Korea.

Last week Malaysia's trade minister Mustapa Mohamed said the spat would have no impact on Kuala Lumpur as trade with the reclusive country is "insignificant". </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> 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 has declared North Korea’s ambassador Kang Chol “persona non grata” and expelled after saying “foreign forces” colluded in the murder of the half-brother of North Korean leader Kim Jong-un.

Mr Kang, who said Pyongyang “cannot trust” Malaysia’s handling of the investigation, has been asked to leave Malaysia within 48 hours, the latest escalation in the diplomatic row between the two countries.

Kim Jong-am, the estranged half-brother of Kim Jong-un, was killed on February 13th at Kuala Lumpur International Airport, after two women allegedly smeared his face with the deadly VX nerve agent.

The two women, Doan Thi Huong from Vietnam and Siti Aisyah from Indonesia, were formally charged with murder last week. They both said they thought they were taking part in a TV prank.

Mr Kang had been fiercely critical of Malaysia and accused his host country of coming under the influence of “foreign powers”, a veiled reference to North Korea’s bitter rivals, South Korea.

“It should be recalled that the ambassador has alleged that the conduct of the investigation into the death of a North Korean citizen on February 13th indicates that the Malaysian government had something to hide and that it colluded with outside powers to defame his country,” foreign minister Anifah Haji Aman said.

He said the release of North Korean national Ri Jong-chol due to lack of evidence was proof that the investigation was carried out in an impartial, fair and transparent manner, and Malaysia had demanded an apology from the ambassador, but none was forthcoming.

Malaysian police are seeking several North Koreans, including the second secretary at the embassy, over the death of Kim Jong-nam.

“Malaysia will react strongly against any insults made against it or any attempt to tarnish its reputation.”

Malaysian primemMinister Najib Razak had previously described the comments as “diplomatically rude” and last week Malaysia cancelled visa-free entry for North Koreans entering the country from March 6th.

Malaysia has been one of the few countries friendly to North Korea in the region.

En route back to Pyongyang on Saturday, Ri Jong-chol the deported North Korean, said he and his family had been threatened by Malaysian police to make a confession.

“These men kept telling me to admit to the crime, and if not, my whole family would be killed, and you too won’t be safe. If you accept everything, you can live a good life in Malaysia,” Mr Ri told reporters at Beijing airport on the way back to Pyongyang. “They were plotting to tarnish my country’s reputation.”

Kim Jong-nam was travelling using a diplomatic passport under the name Kim Chol. Pyongyang has not yet confirmed that the body is that of Kim Jong-nam, acknowledging him only as a North Korean citizen. </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> North Korea should learn to respect the sovereign rights of other nations, Malaysia said hours after expelling Pyongyang's ambassador to Kuala Lumpur. Malaysia's deputy prime minister said that the expulsion of the North Korean envoy was meant to send a strong message to Kim Jong-un's regime.

Speaking on Sunday (5 March), a day after the North Korean ambassador was given 48 hours to leave Malaysia, Ahmad Zahid Hamidi, who is also the home minister, warned Pyongyang not to manipulate the ongoing investigation of Kim Jong-nam's murder.

"The statements by the ambassador were obviously aimed at manipulating the matter. We have been professional in our probe in terms of interviewing witnesses and collecting evidence, whether it was DNA samples or CCTV footage," said the deputy prime minister.

In a strong diplomatic rebuke, Malaysia had earlier ordered North Korean ambassador to Malaysia, Kang Chol, to leave the country declaring him "persona non grata". Malaysia said the stern decision was taken after he failed to appear despite being summoned several times.

"They have to respect our diplomatic ties... This is not just about North Korean citizens... We have to look into the interests of international citizens. There are other friendly states that are facing issues with North Korea too. As international citizens, we must cooperate with each other and not manipulate an issue," Zahid told reporters.

Malaysia had demanded a written apology from the North Korean ambassador for his accusations against Kuala Lumpur relating to investigations into the death of Jong-nam, the estranged half brother of North Korean leader Kim Jong-un. The envoy had accused Malaysia of cooking up North Korea's involvement in the murder joining hands with rival South Korea. The comments have seriously angered Malaysia leading to a diplomatic rift.
Malaysia expels Kang Chol, North Korea's ambassador, after he criticised the former's investigation into the death of Kim Jong-nam.