Are there concerns about the discovery of sanctions avoidance and money laundering routes between North Korea and Malaysia?

North Korea, which declared a breakup with Malaysia on the 19th, withdrew all employees and family members of the North Korean embassy in Kuala Lumpur on the 21st.

When North Korea declared a breakup on the 19th in response to Malaysia’s action to deliver North Korean recruits to the United States, the Malaysian government responded face-to-face, saying, “North Korean diplomats should leave Malaysia within 48 hours.” The withdrawal of North Korean embassy officials on this day was due to Malaysia’s deportation measures.

According to Malaysian media and foreign media such as The Star, North Korean Ambassador Kim Yoo-seong said, “The Malaysian government will have to endure the consequences of this incident.” The product of “is the product of” issued a statement. “The Malaysian authorities blindly supported the United States,” said Ambassador Kim. “As Malaysia delivered our innocent people to the United States, it completely destroyed the basis of the bilateral relations.”

The’innocent people’ referred to by North Korea is Moon Cheol-myeong (56), a so-called North Korean businessman who Malaysia recently delivered to the United States. The U.S. Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) requested the delivery of recruits to Malaysia in May 2019, claiming that Moon sent luxury goods such as alcohol and watches to North Korea in violation of sanctions against North Korea, and laundered money.

Malaysian authorities arrested Moon in Kuala Lumpur, and in December of the same year, a Malaysian court approved US extradition. The Malaysian Supreme Court confirmed this by dismissing Moon’s appeal earlier this month who requested refusal to extradite recruits.

North Korea maintained friendly relations after establishing diplomatic relations with Malaysia in 1973 as part of President Kim Il-sung’s strengthening of diplomacy in the third world. In particular, North Korea is said to have used Malaysia as an outpost for collecting information, manipulating and earning foreign currency, and managing it as a base in Southeast Asia. Then, in February 2017, after Kim Jong-nam, the half-brother of the Chairman of the State Council, was poisoned at Kuala Lumpur International Airport, the two sides greeted the ambassador and became wishes.

Even in such a situation, the intelligence authorities estimate that North Korea took advantage of the’gap’ of sanctions against North Korea, such as money laundering and smuggling using paper companies in Malaysia.

It is pointed out that the reason that the number of North Koreans withdrawn on this day is about 30, not only because of the embassy’s staff and their families, but also those who’have been active’ locally. It is also an analysis that North Korea’s self-isolation with the extreme choice of a single bridge because of the extradition of a new recruit of its own people is also concerned about the possibility that a pathway and means to evade sanctions against North Korea will be revealed in Malaysia.

A former intelligence official said, “North Korea has set up a camouflage company in Malaysia to collect information on South Korea and laundered money.” When the’root’ was on the verge of being revealed, he even took a break with Malaysia.”

On the other hand, officials from North Korea who left Malaysia on this day are believed to have headed to China for the first time. However, it is pointed out that it remains to be seen whether the North Korean authorities will be able to go directly to North Korea as the North Korean authorities are controlling their borders for fear of the spread of the new coronavirus infection (Corona 19).

Reporter Jeong Yong-soo [email protected]