Malaysia bans citizens from travelling to North Korea

Malaysia has banned its citizens from travelling to North Korea “until further notice,” the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said on Thursday. “The ban is due to an escalation of tensions in the Korean Peninsula and related developments arising from missile tests. “The travel ban will be reviewed once the situation has returned to normal,’’ the statement said. In February, the assassination of North Korean leader Kim Jong Un’s brother Kim Jong Nam at Kuala Lumpur International Airport severely strained diplomatic relations between Pyongyang and Kuala Lumpur. Both countries later recall their ambassadors. But on September 20, North Korea granted a Malaysian prince, who is also the country’s football federation president, access to its airspace “anytime”. An Asian Cup football qualifier between the two nations was finally set to take place on October 5 in Pyongyang after being postponed twice over political tensions and security concerns. Meanwhile, it is unclear whether or not the game will now go ahead as scheduled.