NK Diplomat Expelled

[Anchor Lead]

The Malaysian government has decided to expel the North Korean ambassador to Malaysia for his continuous refusal to comply with authorities investigating Kim Jong-nam's murder. Here’s our report from Malaysia.

[Pkg]

The Malaysian government has designated North Korean ambassador to Malaysia Kang Chol as "persona non grata" and decided to expel him from the country. The Malaysian government took this stern diplomatic measure after terminating Malaysia's visa waiver program with North Korea and issuing a statement condemning the use of the nerve agent VX in Kim Jong-nam's assassination. The North Korean ambassador repeatedly criticized Malaysian authorities for performing an autopsy on Kim Jong-nam's body and for the results of their investigation into his death. Malaysia's Foreign Ministry said it had decided to expel Kang because he failed to respond to summons and ignored the ministry's demand for a written apology made four days ago. The ministry stressed that the measure was "the most serious form of disapproval that the country can apply to foreign diplomats."

[Soundbite] Ahmad Zahid Hamidi(Deputy Prime Minister, Malaysia/Mar. 3)

The high-ranking diplomatic channel between Malaysia and North Korea has been virtually severed following the Malaysian government's recall of the Malaysian ambassador to Pyongyang last month and the expulsion of the North Korean ambassador to Malaysia.