NORTH KOREA CUTS DIPLOMATIC TIES WITH MALAYSIA
Decision comes in wake of court’s dismissal of extradition appeal of its citizen to US
NORTH Korea yesterday announced its decision to sever diplomatic ties with Malaysia following the Federal Court’s action earlier this month in dismissing a North Korean man’s appeal against extradition to the United States (US) to face money-laundering charges.
North Korea’s Foreign Ministry, in a statement carried on state news wire KCNA, said the extradition was a “nefarious act and unpardonably heavy crime” by the Malaysian authorities, who had “offered our citizen as a sacrifice of the US hostile move in defiance of the acknowledged international laws”.
The report said Malaysia’s actions had destroyed “the entire foundation of the bilateral relations based on the respect for sovereignty”.
The ministry subsequently announced “total severance of the diplomatic relations with Malaysia”, and described the court decision as a “hostile act” committed against Pyongyang “in subservience to US pressure”.
North Korea warned that Washington would “pay a price”, KCNA reported.
The ministry described the individual as someone engaged in “legitimate external trade activities in Singapore”, insisting that it was a “fabrication... to argue that he was involved in ‘money laundering’”.
Meanwhile, the North Korean Embassy in Bukit Damansara, said it was making plans to close its operations as soon as possible.
The embassy’s charge d’affaires, Kim Yu-song, confirmed to the New Straits Times that he was preparing the shutdown, following advice from his superiors in Pyongyang.
“Yes, we will shut down.
“We are discussing the plans with our staff here and are liaising with our government,” he said, declining further comment pending further instructions from Pyongyang.
Asked if the embassy, located in Jalan Batai near the Royal Commonwealth Club here, would issue an official statement, Kim said it was contemplating one.
Officially known as the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea, North Korea’s statement came in the wake of the court ruling in which a North Korean man — Mun Chol-myong — would be extradited to the US.
The US accused Mun, 55, of laundering funds through front companies and issuing fraudulent documents to support illicit shipments to North Korea.
He was accused of four moneylaundering charges and two conspiracy charges to launder money by buying and shipping liquor and cigarettes to North Korea.
Mun, who has lived with his family in Malaysia for over a decade, was arrested in 2019 following the extradition request from Washington.
He has denied Federal Bureau of Investigations’ claims that he led a criminal group that violated sanctions by supplying prohibited items to North Korea and laundered funds through front companies.
The High Court had previously approved his extradition, but Mun challenged the move after arguing his detention was unlawful. He contended that the allegations against him were of a political nature.
Malaysia and North Korea were previously embroiled in a diplomatic spat after North Korean leader Kim Jong-un’s estranged brother, Kim Jong-nam, died at the Kuala Lumpur International Airport 2 in Sepang in February 2017.
The incident occurred when two women reportedly smeared his face with a VX nerve agent, listed as a weapon of mass destruction by the United Nations.
Subsequently, Malaysia suspended operations at its embassy in Pyongyang after securing the safe return of nine citizens detained within its embassy’s compounds, in exchange for the release of Jong-nam’s body and the release of three of its Kuala Lumpur-based diplomats.
The incident also saw the 2019 AFC Asian Cup football qualifier between North Korea and Malaysia postponed three times.
The Group B match was due to be played on Oct 10, having previously been scheduled for March 28 and June 8 that year.
The matches were played eventually on neutral ground in Bangkok, Thailand.
Malaysia lost both encounters by a similar 4-1 margin.
Foreign reports alleged that North Korea had used Malaysia as a hub for its arms export operations and setting up business entities for funnelling money to North Korea’s leadership.
On Thursday, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said President Joe Biden’s administration would complete a review of its North Korea policy in the next few weeks in close consultation with allies.