North Korea and Malaysia on Tuesday banned each other's citizens from leaving their countries, with Kuala Lumpur saying its nationals were effectively being held "hostage" in a row over the assassination of Kim Jong-Nam.
The extraordinary tit-for-tat moves came as the reclusive North faced growing international condemnation for a volley of missiles it fired into the Sea of Japan, defying stringent global sanctions aimed at halting its weapons program.
Tuesday's developments marked a dramatic heightening of tensions with Malaysia three weeks after the half-brother of North Korean leader Kim Jong-Un was murdered at Malaysia's main airport with the banned VX nerve agent.
The North decided to "temporarily ban the exit of Malaysian citizens in the DPRK", the official news agency KCNA said, citing the foreign ministry and using the country's official name, the Democratic People's Republic of Korea.
The prohibition would remain in place "until the safety of the diplomats and citizens of the DPRK in Malaysia is fully guaranteed through the fair settlement of the case that occurred in Malaysia".
The Malaysian foreign ministry said 11 of its citizens were currently in North Korea -- three embassy staff, six family members and two who work for the UN's World Food Program.
The WFP said the pair, as UN staffers, "are international civil servants who do not represent any country". It said it took the safety of its staff seriously and was closely monitoring the situation
Malaysian Prime Minister Najib Razak condemned the ban and said he was ordering a similar ban on the movement of "all North Korean citizens in Malaysia". Analysts said they could number around 1,000.
"This abhorrent act, effectively holding our citizens hostage, is in total disregard of all international law and diplomatic norms," Najib said.
Later, after the prime minister chaired an emergency national security council meeting, his spokesman told reporters: "We want to resolve the issue amicably and in the best possible way."
A top foreign ministry official met the number two at Pyongyang's embassy on Tuesday, a senior government official told AFP on condition of anonymity.
"We have to negotiate with them. We have 11 people in North Korea. The situation is tense," he said.
Senior cabinet minister Wan Junaidi Tuanku Jaafar told AFP Malaysia had "very special" ties with China while Beijing had good relations with Pyongyang. "And this is one of the avenues we can explore to resolve the issue amicably."
Weapon of mass destruction
Pyongyang and Kuala Lumpur had unusually strong links for years, but ties have rapidly degenerated in the weeks since two women wiped a deadly chemical on Kim Jong-Nam's face.
An autopsy revealed that to be VX nerve agent, a substance so dangerous it is classed as a weapon of mass destruction by the U.N.
Seoul has blamed Pyongyang for the assassination, and Kuala Lumpur wants to question several North Koreans, although the only one it arrested was released last week for lack of evidence.
The North has never confirmed the dead man's identity, but has denounced the Malaysian investigation as an attempt to smear it.
North Korean ambassador Kang Chol slammed what he called a "pre-targeted investigation by the Malaysian police" on Monday, just before leaving the country after being expelled.
Pyongyang retaliated by formally ordering out his counterpart -- who had already been recalled for consultations.
According to KCNA, the foreign ministry expressed hopes that the Malaysian government would solve the issue "as early as possible" from a position of "goodwill".
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