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KUALA LUMPUR: The North Korean embassy was abuzz with activity a day after Malaysia gave the country’s diplomats and their families 48 hours to leave, in immediate retaliation for the country’s decision to cut diplomatic ties with Malaysia.
Among the vans seen entering the facility were those from a private hospital in Petaling Jaya that was transporting medical personnel wearing PPE allegedly to test for Covid-19, which is a requirement before someone can fly out of the country. .
Since its announcement on Friday, the embassy in Jalan Batai in Bukit Damansara has been the focal point for local and foreign media.
This morning, reporters began converging outside the embassy at 7:30 a.m. And at 11 a.m., some 40 members of the local and international media were seen waiting outside to monitor the movements there.
The embassy is said to have about 20 employees and clerks, according to Bernama, whose reporter sources told the group that the group will likely depart for Pyongyang tomorrow via Beijing.
There were movements of vehicles in and out of the embassy building until the doors were closed at 12:30 pm. A police patrol with two staff members was seen outside the embassy.
The embassy was headed by Charge d’Affaires Kim Yu Song. North Korea’s last ambassador to the country was Kang Chol, who was expelled in 2017 for his provocative comments related to the assassination of Kim Jong-nam, the half-brother of North Korean leader Kim Jong-un.
Bernama’s attempt to contact Yu Song and Councilor Song Ki Chol since Friday had been futile.
Pyongyang announced on Friday that it would sever diplomatic ties with Malaysia after a court here earlier this month ruled that a North Korean businessman could be extradited to the United States to face money laundering charges.
Wisma Putra said he deeply regretted North Korea’s decision and retaliated by closing the Malaysian embassy in Pyongyang, whose operation had already been suspended since 2017.
