Malaysia Bans All Citizens from Traveling to North Korea

Kuala Lumpur, MINA – Malaysia said Thursday that all its citizens are banned from traveling to North Korea until further notice due to escalating tensions on the Korean Peninsula as a result of Pyongyang’s missile and nuclear development.

The travel ban will be reviewed once the situation has returned to normal, the Malaysian Foreign Ministry said in a statement.

Malaysia’s football team is scheduled to face North Korea in an Asian Cup qualifier match in Pyongyang on October 5, a match that has already been delayed twice due to security fears.

The Football Association of Malaysia (FAM) said it will issue a statement later Thursday, when asked if the team would be allowed to fly to Pyongyang despite the ban.

The Foreign Ministry’s statement cited North Korea’s missile tests and related developments. North Korea has been targeted in recent months by stricter sanctions and increasing diplomatic pressure, with some nations expelling North Korean ambassadors. (R/R04/RS5)

Mi’raj News Agency (MINA)