North Korean leader Kim Jong-un. Pics/AFP
Kuala Lumpur: North Korea and Malaysia yesterday banned each other’s citizens from leaving their countries, with Kuala Lumpur saying its nationals were effectively being held “hostage” in a row over the assassination of Kim Jong-Nam.
The extraordinary tit-for-tat moves came as the reclusive North faced growing international condemnation for a volley of missiles it fired into the Sea of Japan. Yesterday’s developments marked a dramatic heightening of tensions with Malaysia three weeks after the half-brother of North Korean leader Kim Jong-Un was murdered at Malaysia’s main airport with the banned VX nerve agent.
Malaysian Prime Minister Najib Razak
The North decided to “temporarily ban the exit of Malaysian citizens in the DPRK”, the official news agency KCNA said. The prohibition would remain in place “until the safety of the diplomats and citizens of the DPRK in Malaysia is fully guaranteed through the fair settlement of the case that occurred in Malaysia”.
The Malaysian foreign ministry said 11 of its citizens were currently in North Korea – three embassy staff, six family members and two who work for the UN’s World Food Programme. The WFP said the pair, as UN staffers, “are international civil servants who do not represent any country”. It said it took the safety of its staff seriously and was closely monitoring the situation Malaysian Prime Minister Najib Razak condemned the ban and said he was ordering a similar ban on the movement of “all North Korean citizens in Malaysia”. Analysts said they could number around 1,000.
Later, after the prime minister chaired an emergency national security council meeting, his spokesman told reporters: “We want to resolve the issue amicably and in the best possible way.” A top foreign ministry official met the number two at Pyongyang’s embassy yesterday, said a senior government official. “We have to negotiate with them. We have 11 people in North Korea. The situation is tense,” he said.
Seoul to push for tougher sanctions
The South Korean government and the ruling party on Tuesday agreed on the need to push for more “effective” sanctions on North Korea after it fired off four ballistic missiles into the Sea of Japan. The government and the Liberty Korea Party also agreed to closely communicate with Washington.
US, S. Korea warned of ‘consequences’
China yesterday said it would take unspecified measures against a US missile system being deployed in S Korea, and warned that Washington and Seoul will bear the consequences. A Foreign Ministry spokesman said that China “firmly oppo-ses” the deployment of the missile defence system, after launchers and other equipment needed for it arrived in South Korea.
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