PUTRAJAYA (Bernama) - Youth and Sports Minister Khairy Jamaluddin will seek the assistance of the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) to assess the situation in Pyongyang before Malaysia play North Korea in their 2019 Asian Cup Qualifier.

The match is scheduled to be held at the Kim Il Sung Stadium in Pyongyang on March 28.

Khairy said the Football Association of Malaysia (FAM) will also seek the opinion of the AFC before deciding to go to North Korea.

"I will ask the AFC to monitor the situation in Pyongyang because security is our priority. It is a difficult situation now because the diplomatic relationship between North Korea and Malaysia is strained.

"If there is a change in venue, Malaysia will be ready to face their opponent," he told reporters at a briefing for the National Transformation (TN50) at the Youth and Sports Ministry, here today.

Malaysia have been drawn in Group B with North Korea, Hong Kong and Lebanon.

Malaysia on Monday recalled its ambassador to North Korea as well as summoned North Korea's ambassador over allegations the latter had made over Malaysia's probe into the murder North Korean leader Kim Jong Un's half-brother at the Kuala Lumpur International Airport on Feb 13.

The Foreign ministry said Kang Chol was summoned for "an explanation on the accusations he made against the Government of Malaysia in his press conference on Feb 17.

"In the press conference, the Ambassador...insinuated that...the Malaysian Government had 'something to conceal'. The Ambassador also alleged that Malaysia was 'colluding and playing into the gallery of external forces'," the statement from the ministry had said.