After North Korea said it will ban Malaysian citizens from leaving the country, Malaysia has hit back at Pyongyang with the same move. Malaysia has now banned North Koreans from leaving the nation amid diplomatic fallout between the countries over Kim Jong-nam's murder.
Read: Malaysia to cancel visa-free entry for North Koreans, following Kim Jong-nam's murder
The Deputy Prime Minister Ahmad Zahid Hamidi on Tuesday announced the decision of barring North Koreans from leaving Malaysia, just hours after Pyongyang said Malaysians can't leave North Korea.
The killing of the North Korean leader Kim Jong-un's estranged half brother at an airport in Kuala Lumpur has unleashed a tumultuous diplomatic battle between the countries.
Malaysian authorities have concluded that Kim was assassinated by two women who smeared VX nerve agent on his face while he was waiting for a flight, however the North Korean nation has said Malaysia's investigation is flawed.
The North Korean state media on Tuesday said that its Foreign Ministry had notified the Malaysian Embassy in the country of its decision of barring the Malaysian citizens from leaving. The ministry said the ban will be valid until safety of North Korean nationals in Malaysia is guaranteed.
It is not clear exactly how many Malaysians are in North Korea presently or whether the ban covers Malaysian diplomats staying in North too.
North Korea on Monday said it had ordered Malaysia's ambassador out of the country in a tit-for-tat move after Malaysia expelled North Korea's envoy over Kim's murder at the Kuala Lumpur airport.
Korean Central News Agency said the Malaysian ambassador has been labelled as persona non grata and has been ordered to leave the country within 48 hours.
Malaysia, on Saturday, had ordered the North Korean Ambassador Kang Chol to leave within 48 hours after the diplomat criticised Malaysia's handling of Kim Jong-nam's murder.
