{"id":90422,"date":"2021-03-23T22:44:04","date_gmt":"2021-03-23T22:44:04","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.radiofree.org\/?p=177747"},"modified":"2021-03-23T22:44:04","modified_gmt":"2021-03-23T22:44:04","slug":"north-korean-diplomats-recalled-from-malaysia-may-face-punishment-over-u-s-extradition","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/radiofree.asia\/2021\/03\/23\/north-korean-diplomats-recalled-from-malaysia-may-face-punishment-over-u-s-extradition\/","title":{"rendered":"North Korean Diplomats Recalled from Malaysia May Face Punishment Over U.S. Extradition"},"content":{"rendered":"
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North Korean diplomats from Pyongyang\u2019s embassy who were recently expelled from Malaysia in a rupture of diplomatic relations could face punishment over the first-ever extradition of a North Korean national to the United States, sources in China told RFA.<\/p>\n

Pyongyang on Friday severed ties with Malaysia and closed down its embassy in Kuala Lumpur after the extradition of businessman Mun Chol Myong to Washington, where he faces six counts of money laundering.<\/p>\n

Malaysia then ordered the North\u2019s diplomats out in 48 hours and accused Pyongyang of attempting to meddle in its judicial system, where Mun lost a two-year battle to halt his extradition.<\/p>\n

\u201cAs soon as I heard the reports that the Malaysian authorities arrested and handed over a North Korean businessman\u2026 to the U.S., the first thing that worried me was the safety of the embassy officials stationed there,\u201d a North Korean trade official in Beijing, China told RFA\u2019s Korean Service Monday.<\/p>\n

\u201cNo matter where it happens, if any incident like this occurs, the embassy officials stationed in that area will have to take responsibility,\u201d said the source, who requested anonymity for security reasons.<\/p>\n

The source said the case was particularly unusual because Mun, an important fundraiser for North Korea\u2019s ruling Korean Workers\u2019 Party, was now in the custody of the U.S., which the source referred to as the \u201cenemy country.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThis incident has a political character in that it has undermined the authority of the Highest Dignity<\/em> externally. As soon as it happened, the leadership in Pyongyang cut diplomatic relations with Malaysia,\u201d the source said, using an honorific term to refer to North Korean leader Kim Jong Un.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe embassy staff were notified to leave Malaysia within 48 hours. They were immediately on their way home as if they were chased away,\u201d said the source.<\/p>\n

The North Korean trade officials in China say they are worried about what could happen to the embassy\u2019s most senior officials, such as Charg\u00e9 D\u2019affaires Kim Yu Song, according to the source.<\/p>\n

\u201cThere is high concern that they may be dismissed or even be sent to a political prison camp for undermining the authority of the Highest Dignity and the country,\u201d the source said.<\/p>\n

Another North Korean trade worker, in China\u2019s northeast, told RFA Tuesday that the news of Mun\u2019s extradition was \u201cshocking\u201d to other officials, as they, like Mun, are assigned to earn foreign currency for the party.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe U.S. is known to quickly identify and monitor the flow of illegal funds worldwide. In China, North Korean workers are making foreign currency and dealing with large amounts of money,\u201d said the second source, who requested anonymity to speak freely.<\/p>\n

\u201cIn many cases, they violate the economic sanctions levied by the U.N. and U.S., so many are anxious that they could also be taken by the U.S. someday,\u201d said the second source.<\/p>\n

The second source said the workers stationed abroad feel they are in an unfair situation\u2014ordered by North Korean authorities to do illegal things to earn foreign currency.<\/p>\n

\u201cBut if any of them are deported for violating international sanctions, the authorities in North Korea will hold them personally responsible and punish them.\u201d<\/p>\n

North Korea and Malaysia established diplomatic relations in 1973, and with a visa waiver agreement in place, Malaysia became a major destination for Pyongyang to send trade workers to earn foreign currency over the years. But relations have been strained ever since the 2017 assassination of Kim Jong Un\u2019s half-brother Kim Jong Nam at the airport in Kuala Lumpur.<\/p>\n

Punishment for what the North Korean government considers embarrassment on the international stage is common.<\/p>\n

After the 2016 defection of Thae Yong Ho, North Korea\u2019s deputy ambassador to the United Kingdom, South Korea\u2019s JoongAng Ilbo <\/em>newspaper reported that Pyongyang held responsible its vice-foreign minister, Kung Sok Ung, removing him from his position and exiling him and his family to a rural farming area.<\/p>\n

Reported by Hyemin Son for RFA\u2019s Korean Service. Translated by Leejin Jun. Written in English by Eugene Whong.<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n\n

This post was originally published on Radio Free<\/a>. <\/p>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

North Korean diplomats from Pyongyang\u2019s embassy who were recently expelled from Malaysia in a rupture of diplomatic relations could face punishment over the first-ever extradition of a North\u2026<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":4,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[4],"tags":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/radiofree.asia\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/90422"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/radiofree.asia\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/radiofree.asia\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/radiofree.asia\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/4"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/radiofree.asia\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=90422"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/radiofree.asia\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/90422\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":90423,"href":"https:\/\/radiofree.asia\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/90422\/revisions\/90423"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/radiofree.asia\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=90422"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/radiofree.asia\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=90422"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/radiofree.asia\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=90422"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}