Kuwait decides to deport N.K. envoy, stops issuing visas for N. Koreans: VOA

In the report to the U.N. Security Council (UNSC), Kuwait said it has decided to cut the number of North Korean diplomats in the country to four from the current nine, the Voice of America (VOA) reported. On the deportation list is Pyongyang's ambassador to Kuwait So Chang-sik.

The report did not mention when the five diplomats will be deported.

The move is in line with UNSC Resolution 2321 adopted last year to punish the North's fifth nuclear test. Kuwait is the third country to send back a North Korean ambassador following Mexico and Peru, the VOA report said.

Kuwait has also stopped the issuance of visas for North Korean nationals. North Koreans in the Middle East country will be told to leave it once their residential permits expire, according to the report.

Currently, some 6,000 North Koreans are believed to work in Kuwait.