Ties between Malaysia and North Korea have cooled even more, with reports out of Putrajaya that they will no longer be issuing work visas for citizens of the hermit state.
Prior to the assassination of Kim Jong-nam at KLIA2 airport, the two countries shared an amicable relationship that saw thousands of North Korean workers travel to Malaysia as cheap labor for mines and in logging in Borneo. In turn, Malaysians enjoyed visa-free travel to a country that’s not as much known for its tourism industry as it is for being a generally miserable place to live.
The move comes after the United States intervened, requesting that Malaysia assist in isolating North Korea further economically. The use of cheap North Korean labor in countries like China, Nepal and Malaysia is seen as a way to funnel hard currency back to Pyongyang, mostly because that’s exactly what it is.
