Two North Koreans wanted for questioning in connection with the murder of North Korean leader Kim Jong Un’s estranged half brother, Kim Jong Nam, are hiding in the North Korean embassy in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia’s police chief said on Tuesday.
“How much longer do they want to hide in the embassy…it is a matter of time before they come out,” police chief Khalid Abu Bakar told reporters at a press conference.
READ MORE: North Korean ambassador to Malaysia expelled as warning to Pyongyang
Khalid said that North Korean authorities were not cooperating with the investigations. Kim was killed at Kuala Lumpur International Airport on Feb. 13 by assassins using VX nerve agent, classified by the United Nations as a weapon of mass destruction.
WATCH: Death of Kim Jong Un’s half-brother sparks row between Malaysia, North Korea
Malaysia will not allow North Korean citizens to leave the country with immediate effect, Deputy Prime Minister Ahmad Zahid Hamidi said on Tuesday, in a tit-for-tat step as a row escalated over the Malaysian investigation of Kim Jong Nam’s murder.
READ MORE: North Korea says Kim Jong Nam likely died of heart attack, not VX nerve agent
Earlier on Tuesday, North Korea said it has temporarily banned Malaysians from leaving the country to ensure the safety of its diplomats and citizens in Malaysia.