As such, when the North Korean ambassador refused to present himself when summoned by the Malaysian MFA again, he was declared persona non grata, and given 48 hours to leave the country, which he eventually did. Seemingly acting on the diplomatic principle of reciprocity, North Korea also correspondingly declared the Malaysian ambassador there as persona non grata (which was moot as the latter had been recalled earlier). Declaring a diplomat as persona non grata is enshrined in the 1961 Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations, but the principle has always been practiced in both the Eastern and Western hemispheres. As could be expected, the ambassador publicly displayed some “avant garde” act which would have been normal back home but was decidedly considered blasphemy in the receiving country, which promptly declared the ambassador persona non grata. These agents would typically be declared persona non grata and expelled.

Source: Manila Times March 21, 2017 16:07 UTC