Pyongyang bans Malaysians from leaving N. Korea

SEOUL: Pyongyang is banning all Malaysian citizens from leaving North Korea, state media said Tuesday, potentially holding them hostage amid an increasingly heated diplomatic row over the killing of Kim Jong-Nam in Kuala Lumpur.

"All Malaysian nationals in the DPRK will be temporarily prohibited from leaving the country until the incident that happened in Malaysia is properly solved," the official Korea Central News Agency said, citing the foreign ministry. - AFP