North Korea closes its embassy in Malaysia over US extradition row

North Korea closed its embassy in Malaysia on Sunday after announcing that it is cutting ties with Kuala Lumpur over the extradition of its citizen to the United States for alleged money laundering.

A North Korean diplomat read out a statement to the media, calling extradition an "unpardonable crime," NHK World reported.

On Friday, North Korea said that it will sever diplomatic relations with Malaysia for extraditing one of its nationals to the US to face money laundering charges.

According to Yonhap News Agency, the North Korean businessman living in Malaysia is accused of supplying prohibited luxury items from Singapore to Pyongyang, in violation of UN sanctions.

Malaysia's top court ruled that the businessman can be extradited to the US, rejecting his appeal challenging the extradition request.

"This world-startling incident is an out-and-out product of anti-DPRK conspiracy created from the heinous policy of hostility by the US aimed at isolating and suffocating our country and the pro-US subservience by the Malaysian authority," the official Korean Central News Agency said.

North Korea also warned that the US will 'pay a due price', accusing it of being the "backstage manipulator and the main culprit of this incident".