KUALA LUMPUR: Malaysia “deeply regrets” the decision of the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (DPRK) to sever their diplomatic ties, the Malaysian Ministry of Foreign Affairs said on Friday in a statement.

The ministry said the DPRK’s decision was “unfriendly and unconstructive,” adding that “Malaysia reserves our every right to respond to the decision of the DPRK in order to protect our sovereignty and to safeguard our national interest.”