Expelled DPRK ambassador says 'extreme measures' by Malaysia to harm bilateral ties

KUALA LUMPUR - The ambassador of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea in Malaysia, who has been expelled by Malaysia, on Monday expressed "grave concerns over the extreme measures taken" by Malaysia, which he said will harm bilateral ties.

It is the first time that Ambassador Kang Chol has spoken to the media after Kuala Lumpur declared him "persona non grata" on Saturday.

The expulsion of the envoy came after Kang and Pyongyang accused Malaysia of "colluding with hostile forces" in its investigation into the death of a DPRK man at the Kuala Lumpur airport, and refused to recognize the investigation.

He made the remarks in Korean at the Kuala Lumpur airport, where he was scheduled to take a flight to leave the country, and were translated by an embassy staff.

"The statement I have made is an expression of the righteous stand as the DPRK envoy to this country, on the pre-targeted investigation by the Malaysian police, as they have conducted the autopsy without the consent of the DPRK embassy and later arrested a DPRK citizen without any clear evidence showing his involvement in the incident," Kang said.

He said such "extreme measures taken by the Malaysian government" will do "great harm to the bilateral relations", which has a history of more than 40 years.

Relations between the two countries have been strained since an investigation into the Feb 13 killing of the DPRK man, with a passport name of "Kim Chol". Malaysia revoked visa-free entry to DPRK citizens and recalled its ambassador to Pyongyang.

The Malaysian government on Monday also directed the Football Association of Malaysia not to send the national soccer team to Pyongyang, where a match was scheduled to be held between the two sides.