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Malaysia denounced North Korea's move as unwarranted and
disruptive to regional peace, adding that the extradition had
been carried out according to law.
North Korea did not name its citizen in a statement carried by
state media KCNA, but Malaysia said Mun Chol Myong, who was
arrested in 2019, was extradited on Wednesday after he had
already exhausted several legal appeals.
"Malaysia denounces (North Korea's) decision as unfriendly and
unconstructive, disrespecting the spirit of mutual respect and
good neighbourly relations among members of the international
community," its foreign ministry said in a statement.
It said Malaysia would close its embassy in Pyongyang in
response and order all diplomatic staff at the North Korean
embassy in Kuala Lumpur to leave the country within 48 hours.
North Korea's foreign affairs ministry also warned Washington
would "pay a price" in the statement, according to KCNA.
Mun's arrest in 2019 came after the United States accused him of
laundering funds through front companies and issuing fraudulent
documents to support illicit shipments to North Korea. He had
denied the allegations, saying they were politically motivated.
The North Korean foreign ministry had called the extradition a
"nefarious act and unpardonably heavy crime" by Malaysian
authorities, who had "offered our citizen as a sacrifice of the
U.S. hostile move in defiance of the acknowledged international
laws."
Kuala Lumpur's once-close ties with North Korea were severely
downgraded after North Korean leader Kim Jong Un's estranged
brother, Kim Jong Nam, was killed at a Kuala Lumpur airport in
February 2017 when two women smeared his face with VX nerve
agent, which the United Nations lists as a weapon of mass
destruction.
Malaysia suspended operation of its embassy in 2017 after it
secured the safe return of nine citizens held in Pyongyang in
exchange for the release of Kim Jong Nam's body.
Despite a promise by Malaysia's then-premier Mahathir Mohamad
during an apparent thaw in diplomatic relations in 2018, the
embassy never resumed operations.
North Korea had used Malaysia as a hub for its arms export
operation, and to set up business entities for funneling money
to North Korea's leadership.
"We warn in advance that the U.S. - the backstage manipulator
and main culprit of this incident - that it will also be made to
pay a due price," KCNA reported.
On Thursday U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken said that the
administration of President Joe Biden would complete a review of
its North Korea policy in the next few weeks in close
consultation with allies.
(Reporting by Sangmi Cha and Josh Smith; Additional reporting by
Joseph Sipalan and Rozanna Latiff in Kuala Lumpur; Editing by
Richard Pullin, Gerry Doyle and Ana Nicolaci da Costa)
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