KINILENS | Kim Yu Song, a counselor at the North Korean Embassy to Malaysia, reads out a statement outside the embassy today.

Malaysia on Friday ordered all North Korean diplomats to leave the country within 48 hours.

This is an escalation of a diplomatic spat over Malaysia's move to extradite a North Korean suspect to the United States on money laundering charges. 

Relations between the two countries were strong until Kim Jong-nam, older brother of dictator Kim Jong-Un was killed on Feb 13, 2017 at KLIA, the victim of an apparent assassination, likely conducted by North Korea.