North Korea allows Malaysian UN workers to leave country

Two aid agency staff reach Beijing on their way home

KUALA LUMPUR // Two Malaysian employees of the UN’s World Food Programme who were stranded in North Korea because of a travel ban have left the country, the UN said yesterday.

Nine other Malaysians are believed to be stuck in the country after diplomatic relations between Kuala Lumpur and Pyongyang broke down over the killing of the estranged sibling of North Korea’s leader. The UN employees were among hundreds of ordinary citizens caught up in the esca- lating diplomatic battle.

The two arrived in Beijing yesterday, said Jane Howard, the WFP coordinator for global issues.

“The staff members are international civil servants and not representatives of their national government,” she said.

When North Korea issued its travel ban this week, Malaysia responded in kind, barring North Koreans from leaving its soil.

The nine Malaysians still believed to be there are three embassy workers and their family members. About 1,000 North Koreans are believed to be in Malaysia, until recently one of the few countries where North Koreans could travel without a visa.

After initially accusing North Korea of assassinating Kim Jong- nam with a banned chemical weapon and of treating Malaysians like hostages, Malaysian prime minister Najib Razak has struck a more conciliatory tone to help negotiations to get his citizens out of the nuclear-armed state.

“Diplomatic relations between Malaysia and North Korea will not be severed, as we need to continue communicating with them to find a solution,” Mr Najib said. Malaysia, he said, was in the process of establishing the motives behind North Korea’s drastic measure.

But Mr Najib insisted that his government “will not relent from a firm approach” in dealings with North Korea.