UN to repatriate 2 Malaysian staff in North Korea

United Nations representative to go to Pyongyang to help in the process of taking the two women out.

KUALA LUMPUR: The United Nations will assist to smoothen the process of bringing out two of its staff, who are Malaysian citizens, from North Korea.

A UN source in New York told Bernama that the two women, who are in their 30s, were contacted as soon as the travel ban notice on Malaysians in North Korea issued by Pyongyang was reported by the international media.

“Both are safe. They are not officers or staff of the Malaysian Embassy.

“They are our staff (UN) who were sent to North Korea to attend a course related to the World Food Programme (WFP),” the source said.

She said the UN would send a representative to smoothen the process of bringing the two women out soonest.

The two women are among 11 Malaysian citizens who are in North Korea, currently, besides three embassy staff and six family members.

North Korea’s official media, KCNA reported that the action of Pyongyang in barring all Malaysian citizens from leaving North Korea was in place as long as (the case of) the killing of Kim Jong Nam, the half-brother of North Korean leader Kim Jon Un, in Kuala Lumpur was not settled properly. -FMT