Peru, Mexico expel N. Korean diplomats

By Yi Whan-woo

A series of countries are stepping up their punishment against North Korea's sixth nuclear test, Sept. 3, ordering North Korean ambassadors to leave their countries or banning trade with the Kim Jong-un regime.

On Monday, the Peruvian government decided to expel North Korean Ambassador Kim Hak-chol because of Pyongyang's series of violations of the U.N. Security Council resolutions on its nuclear and ballistic missile programs.

Peru's foreign ministry said it declared Kim Hak-chol persona non grata and gave him five days to leave the nation.

The measure comes after Mexican President Enrique Pena Nieto declared North Korean Ambassador Kim Hyong-gil persona non grata on Sept. 7 and granted him 72 hours to leave the country.

Sanctions won't stop N. Korea provocations 2017-09-12 16:54  |  North Korea
The Mexican foreign ministry said in a statement that the decision was meant to express its "absolute rejection" of North Korea's nuclear tests.

The move also followed a call from U.S. Vice President Mike Pence, who urged the South American countries to cut diplomatic and trade ties with North Korea during his recent visit to Chile.

Kim Hyong-gil lodged a fierce protest, calling his expulsion a "reckless measure."

He claimed that his country's nuclear program is "just an outcome from the hostile relationship between North Korea and the U.S. and has nothing to do with Mexico."

On Sept. 8, the Philippines' Foreign Minister Alan Peter Cayetano said Manila has suspended trade relations with Pyongyang complying with UNSC sanctions.

The Philippines is North Korea's fifth-largest trade partner, with bilateral trade from January to June this year worth $28.8 million, according to Seoul's Korea Trade-Investment Promotion Agency.