[4] Amid the 2018–19 Korean peace process, Malaysia announced it would re-open its embassy in North Korea and resume relations.

[8][9] The same day, the Malaysian government declared all North Korean diplomatic staff and their dependents personae non gratae and ordered them to leave the country within 48 hours.

[22] The North Korean government said that it will oppose any results of the findings, claiming that it was conducted on its citizen without their permission, and that they will take the issue to the International Court of Justice (ICJ).

[27] Following the revelation that Kim's death was the result of the VX nerve agent, a nerve agent classified as a weapon of mass destruction by the United Nations Security Council Resolution 687 and outlawed by the Chemical Weapons Convention of 1993, Malaysia threatened the expulsion of the North Korean ambassador to Malaysia, referring to his claims of collusion as "delusional".

[29] Beginning on 6 March, Malaysia cancelled the visa-free entry for North Koreans, citing "security issues" following the murder incident.

[35] Shortly after the deal, Malaysian Prime Minister Najib Razak said that the Government of Malaysia had no intention to cut diplomatic ties with North Korea and considers the hostage crisis over, hoping that North Korea will never resort to unlawful action and going against international law again for holding up hostages.

[40] In a joint press conference in Tokyo with Japan, he said: "We hoped for a successful outcome from the historic meeting",[41] adding that "Malaysia will re-open their embassy in North Korea as an end to the diplomatic row over the assassination of Kim Jong-nam".

[43][44] On 25 October 2019, Mahathir met with the President of the Presidium of the Supreme People's Assembly Choe Ryong-hae in Baku, Azerbaijan, to discuss re-establishing diplomatic ties.

On 19 March 2021, North Korea announced the severance of diplomatic ties with Malaysia, after the Kuala Lumpur High Court rejected North Korean businessman Mun Chol Myong’s appeal from extradition to the United States, on money laundering charges, which his lawyers maintained were related mainly to his activities in Singapore.

[8][9] In response on the same day, Malaysia noted that it deeply regretted North Korea’s decision, whilst also denouncing it as “unfriendly and unconstructive, disrespecting the spirit of mutual respect and good neighbourly relations among members of the international community”.

Malaysia also issued an order for all North Korean diplomatic staff (and their dependents) in Kuala Lumpur to leave the country within 48 hours of the severance of ties.