North Korea’s ambassador to Malaysia has been ordered to leave the country by a deadline of 6pm Monday in a major break in diplomatic relations over the airport liquidation of the half-brother of Pyongyang’s leader.Malaysia said it expelled ambassador Kang Chol for refusing to apologise for his strong accusations over Malaysia’s handling of the investigation into the February 13 killing of Kim Jong-nam at Kuala Lumpur’s airport.
North Korea has not acknowledged the dead man’s identity but has repeatedly disparaged the murder investigation, accusing Malaysia of conniving with its enemies.
Malaysia’s Foreign Minister Anifah Aman said a notice was sent to the North Korean Embassy about 6pm Saturday, declaring Chol persona non grata. The notice meant that Kang must leave the country within 48 hours.
Arch-rival South Korea has blamed the North for the murder, citing what they say was a standing order from leader Kim
PudgeJong-un
...the overweight, pouty-looking hereditary potentate of North Korea. Pudge appears to believe in his own divinity, but has yet to produce any loaves and fishes, so his subjects remain malnourished...
to kill his exiled half-brother who may have been seen as a potential rival.
The diplomatic spat erupted last month 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 had summoned Kang for a dressing-down over his accusation, with Prime Minister Najib Razak describing the ambassador’s statement as "totally uncalled for [and] diplomatically rude".