SINGAPORE, March 8 ― A difference in views between Malaysia and North Korea should be discussed and resolved without resorting to extreme measures, Channel NewsAsia quoted Singapore Deputy Prime Minister Teo Chee Hean as saying today.
He was commenting on the bilateral spat between Kuala Lumpur and Pyongyang following the murder of North Korean Kim Chol, widely reported to be Kim Jong-nam, the estranged half-brother of North Korean leader Kim Jong-Un, three weeks ago.
“We have been watching the development there very carefully, not just between North Korea and Malaysia, but also North Korea and its very active launching of missiles, in the last few days,” he told the Singapore media in Jakarta.
“I think we should encourage North Korea to be more moderate in the actions that it is taking in order to try and preserve peace and stability, and security in our region,” said Teo, who is also Singapore's Coordinating Minister for National Security.
He is in the Indonesia capital to attend the Indian Ocean Rim Association Leaders' Summit which ended yesterday, said Channel NewsAsia.
Diplomatic relations between Malaysia and North Korea were established on June 30, 1973, and had remained good for over four decades before Jong-nam's murder on February 13.
Malaysia set up its embassy in Pyongyang on February 28, 2004, and became the first country whose citizens were allowed to visit North Korea without a visa. ― Bernama
