Last month, media reports citing government sources indicated that Malaysia may consider further downgrading ties with North Korea. If confirmed, this would represent a renewed strain in bilateral relations ever since the public murder in Kuala Lumpur of Kim Jong Nam, half-brother of North Korean leader Kim Jong Un. Nam was killed on 13 February 2017 when two women smeared the lethal VX nerve agent on him at the Kuala Lumpur International Airport.

As part of this potential downgrade, Malaysia could close down its embassy in North Korea permanently and shift its North Korea services to Beijing, while reducing the staff numbers in North Korea’s diplomatic mission in Kuala Lumpur.

…David Han is a Senior Analyst with the Malaysia Programme at the S. Rajaratnam School of International Studies (RSIS), Nanyang Technological University, Singapore.

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