Pyongyang says it will ban all Malaysians from leaving North Korea amid diplomatic disputes over the death of leader Kim Jong Un's estranged half-brother, a move that prompted Malaysia to respond with its own ban.
The North's state media said Tuesday that its Foreign Ministry had notified the Malaysian Embassy in the country of its decision, saying the ban will be valid until safety of North Korean nationals in Malaysia is guaranteed.
It is not known how many Malaysians are in the North and whether the North Korean decision also covers Malaysian diplomats there.
Soon after the announcement, Malaysia said it is preventing North Korean diplomats from leaving the country.
Deputy Prime Minister Ahmad Zahid Hamidi said late Monday that Malaysia did not want to retaliate but added, "When we are confronted with a country that has breached international diplomatic norms and ethics, we have no choice."
He said Malaysia was forced to act because North Korea had "manipulated what we call a murder case."
Malaysian Prime Minster Najib Razak added that the North is "effectively holding our citizens hostage."
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Earlier Monday, the North said it had ordered Malaysia's ambassador out of the country in a tit-for-tat after Malaysia expelled North Korea's envoy over the killing of Kim Jong Nam at Kuala Lumpur's airport.
North Korea has denied any role in the killing and accused Malaysia of conspiring with its enemies. North Korean Ambassador Kang Chol has rejected a Malaysian autopsy that found Kim was killed with VX, a banned chemical weapon.
On Monday, Prime Minister Najib Razak said the decision to expel Kang sent a clear message.
"It means that we are firm in defending our sovereignty and dignity," Najib said. "Don't ever insult our country and don't try to cause disruptions here."
Malaysian authorities declared Kang "persona non grata" on Saturday and gave him two days to leave the country. He arrived late Monday afternoon at the Kuala Lumpur airport, where he told reporters that Malaysia was doing "great harm" to the countries' relations.
North Korea's official Korean Central News Agency said Malaysia's ambassador would also be expelled. Malaysia had already announced on Feb. 20 that it was recalling its ambassador "for consultations."
Malaysia's finding that VX killed Kim boosted speculation that North Korea was somehow behind the attack. Experts say the oily poison was almost certainly produced in a sophisticated state weapons laboratory, and North Korea is widely believed to possess large quantities of chemical weapons, including VX.
North Korea is trying to retrieve Kim's body, but has not acknowledged that the victim is Kim Jong Un's half brother, as Malaysian government officials have confirmed.
Ri Tong Il, a former North Korean deputy ambassador to the United Nations, has said Kim probably died of a heart attack because he suffered from heart disease, diabetes and high blood pressure.
Health Minister Subramaniam Sathasivam said pathologists have ruled that out.
"We are saying, based on autopsy findings, there was no heart attack," he told reporters at Parliament.
Still, a lawyer for the Vietnamese suspect said news of existing health problems should be cause for a new autopsy.
"I am writing to the attorney general tomorrow for a second post-mortem," attorney Selvam Shanmugam, who represents Doan Thi Huong, said Monday outside the Vietnamese Embassy in Kuala Lumpur.
"They should have a foreign forensic (team) to participate in the post-mortem," he said.
The two women accused of poisoning Kim say they were duped into thinking they were taking part in a harmless prank.
Malaysia is looking for seven North Korean suspects, four of whom are believed to have left the country on the day of the killing. The three others, including an official at the North Korean Embassy and an employee of Air Koryo, North Korea's national carrier, are believed to still be in Malaysia.
North Korea has a long history of ordering killings of people it views as threats to its regime. Kim Jong Nam was not known to be seeking political power, but his position as eldest son of the family that has ruled North Korea since it was founded could have made him appear to be a danger.
Also Monday, the fallout from the diplomatic battle reached the sports field.
Citing security concerns, Malaysia won't allow its national soccer team to travel to North Korea for a qualifying match for the 2019 Asian Cup, the Football Association of Malaysia said. Malaysia was due to play North Korea on March 28.
Kang Chol's expulsion "made the current situation unsafe for Malaysians to travel to North Korea for the moment," said the association's secretary-general, Hamidin Mohamad Amin. The association has asked the Asian Football Confederation to shift the venue from Pyongyang to a neutral arena.
Associated Press writer Tran Van Minh contributed to this report.
