Malaysia has decided to stop issuing work permits for North Korean laborers in the wake of the apparent assassination of the estranged half-brother of North Korea's leader Kim Jong Un in Kuala Lumpur earlier this year, according to Malaysian government sources.
Malaysia and North Korea used to have friendly relations, but they deteriorated sharply with the killing of Kim Jong Nam at Kuala Lumpur International Airport in February. A number of North Koreans were implicated by Malaysian police in the alleged plot.
The unilateral economic sanctions measure imposed by Malaysia is in line with the request of the United States for countries to cut off sources of funds that could be used by North Korea for its nuclear and ballistic missile development programs.