Everything You Need To Know About Kim Jong-Nam's Assassination At KLIA2

According to a report by The Sun yesterday, 27 March, the remains of North Korean leader Kim Jong-un's half brother, Kim Jong-nam will be sent back to his immediate family back in Macau.

It was reported that the repatriation is believed to have been organised by the Malaysian Foreign Ministry which is in touch with Jong-nam's family in Macau.

This comes after several Malaysian police officers were spotted entering the North Korean embassy yesterday, 27 March. Bernama reported that four men in plainclothes, believed to be Special Branch officers had entered the embassy and remained there for about three hours. The authorities have yet to issue an official statement on the matter.

Japanese newspaper Asahi Shimbun reported that the Malaysian police may have discussed the matter with North Korean officials in the embassy and also heard the testimony of the three North Korean suspects that have been in hiding there.

Jong-nam's body was removed from the Kuala Lumpur Hospital (HUKL) on Sunday, 26 March and brought to a crematorium believed to be in Cheras.

The Star reported today, 16 March, that the Malaysian government is considering the possibility of trading the unclaimed body of Kim Jong-nam to North Korea in return for the nine Malaysians that Pyongyang is holding.

Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Dr Ahmad Zahid Hamidi said that both governments have already started speaking about the matter at the secretary-general level, pushing for the release of the Malaysians in North Korea.

"We are working thoroughly to get them out of Pyongyang," added Zahid.

"We have obtained a red notice for the four North Korean nationals who were at the airport on the day of the incident and who have since left... we are hoping to get them through Interpol," said Inspector-General of Police Tan Sri Khalid Abu Bakar today.

It was reported that the Malaysian authorities requested for the Interpol's help last month. The red notice is the closest instrument to an international arrest warrant.

The four suspects are, Rhi Ji-hyon, 33, Hong Song-hac, 34, O Jong-gil, 55, and Ri Jae-nam, 57.

One month after the high-profile assassination of the man believed to be North Korean leader, Kim Jong-un's half-brother - Kim Jong-nam, Pyongyang has come forward to claim that the slain individual is not the man Malaysian authorities claim he is.

The Democratic People's Republic of Korea (North Korea)’s Permanent Representative to the United Nations, Kim In-ryong, added that the United States and the Republic of Korea (South Korea) is responsible for the murder.

Bernama also reported In-ryong saying that Jong-nam's assassination "is the product of reckless moves of the United States and South Korean authorities aimed at... tarnishing the image of the dignified DPRK and to bring down the Socialist system".

While denying that the man who was killed is Jong-nam, In-ryong, did say that the victim was indeed a North Korean citizen who holds a diplomatic passport.

"The United States and the South Korean authorities are groundlessly blaming the DPRK, asserting that he was intoxicated by a highly poisonous VX nerve substance," he said when responding to a question on the assassination during a recent news conference, criticising UN Security Council statement that claims North Korea's missile launches are a threat to world peace and security.

Malay Mail Online cited Japanese news agency Kyodo News, which reported that Japan had also offered Malaysia data on Jong Nam's physical characteristics, including his mugshots to assist the Malaysian police in identifying the body - providing further proof that the body is Jong-nam's.

In 2001, Jong-nam was detained in Tokyo for trying to enter Japan with a fake passport to visit the Tokyo Disneyland theme park.

While the Malaysian officials wait for Jong-nam's family members to claim his body, they have embalmed it to better preserve it. Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Ahmad Zahid Hamidi confirmed the matter, saying that the body was taken out of the morgue at the Kuala Lumpur Hospital (HKL) for the embalming process and was returned afterwards.

Jong-nam's body will be kept for another two to three weeks and if no family member claims the body in that period, the Malaysian government informed that they will have to decide what to do with it as a government, through the Prime Minister’s Department, Home Ministry, Foreign Ministry, and Health Ministry, specifically.

Almost a month after the death of North Korean leader, Kimg Jong-un's half-brother, Kim Jong-nam, a video of a man claiming to be Kim Han Sol has emerged on YouTube. Kim Han-sol is Jong-nam's eldest son.

The 40-second video titled KHS Video was uploaded on a YouTube channel named Cheollima Civil Defense on 7 March. According to Channel NewsAsia, the group had apparently contacted the news channel after uploading it.

It has also been confirmed by Channel NewsAsia that the man in the video is indeed Kim Han-sol. They had gotten in touch with Do Hee Youn, an activist with the Citizens Coalition for Human Rights of Abductees and North Korean Refugees to verify the identity of the person in the video.

It was reported that the video was also posted on the Cheollima Civil Defense website.

"Cheollima Civil Defense responded last month to an emergency request by survivors of the family of Kim Jong Nam for extraction and protection. The three family members were met quickly and relocated to safety.

"We have in the past addressed other urgent needs for protection. This will be the first and last statement on this particular matter, and the present whereabouts of this family will not be addressed." read the statement that was accompanied by the video on the site, as reported by Channel NewsAsia on 7 March.

The statement also include the group's gratitude and thanks to the humanitarian assistance provided by the governments of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, the People’s Republic of China, the United States of America, and another unnamed government.

However, the Malaysian authorities have told Channel NewsAsia that they are not aware of the existence of the group. Inspector-General of Police Khalid Abu Bakar had allegedly said that they have their "own means of contacting the family" (Kim Jong-nam's next of kin).

In a Facebook post on his official page, Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak has called on North Korea to immediately release all Malaysians trapped in Pyongyang.

"I have summoned an emergency meeting of the National Security Council. I have also instructed the Inspector General of Police to prevent all North Korean citizens in Malaysia from leaving the country until we are assured of the safety and security of all Malaysians in North Korea," read the Facebook post.

Meanwhile, Deputy Home Minister Datuk Nur Jazlan Mohamed said that the North Korean embassy in Malaysia has been temporarily sealed off to identify everyone in the building.

"When North Korea stops our citizens from leaving their country, we view this as serious."

"We have responded to their actions but we have also done this for the safety of North Koreans in there (the embassy) because we don't want anything to happen to another North Korean in Malaysia, which will put more blame on us," said Nur Jazlan, as reported by The Star today.

In an interesting turn of events, AFP reported today that Pyongyang has barred all Malaysian citizens in North Korea from leaving the country.

"All Malaysian nationals in the DPRK will be temporarily prohibited from leaving the country until the incident that happened in Malaysia is properly solved," said the official Korea Central News Agency, as reported by AFP.

According to Reuters, North Korea has pinned the reason for the ban on the growing diplomatic tensions with Malaysia over the murder investigation of Kim Jong-nam, the half-brother of North Korea's leader, Kim Jong-un. The North's government explained that this is to ensure the safety of its diplomats and citizens in Malaysia.

Meanwhile, NST reported that there are currently 11 Malaysians stuck in North Korea. Out of the 11, nine of the Malaysians are already at the Malaysian embassy in Pyongyang, while the other two are said to be part of the World Food Programme. The Malaysian foreign ministry is currently in the process of gathering details on these people.

"We are working to get the Malaysians to get out of North Korea. We cannot divulge too much information at the moment," read the report by NST today.

Following the assassination of North Korean leader Kim Jong-Un's exiled half brother, Kim Jong-nam at the KLIA2 airport last month, Malaysia's ties with North Korea has come under great scrutiny.

Commenting on the recent discovery of two North Korean companies in Kuala Lumpur, that were trading military equipment in violation of UN sanctions, Anthony Davis, a regional security analyst with IHS-Jane, said that Malaysia's visa-free entry and relaxed immigration rules with North Korea has been taken advantage of by these people.

He thinks that North Korean agents have been active in Malaysia, having gone unnoticed for years.

"Given that North Korean citizens can enter Malaysia without a visa, North Korean intelligence agents have been more active in Malaysia than in any other country in Southeast Asia. It has become a sort of regional hub," said Davis, in an email interview with Bernama.

Davis also thinks that the lethal VX nerve agent proves that the assassination must have been approved by the highest level of authority.

"Rogue operators do not get access to a weapon of this type," added Davis.

"...the height of absurdity to claim that the person who applied VX - a fatal substance even in case of inhalation of a tiny amount of it or its touch on the skin - was left unaffected and the person to whom it was applied, met a death," said Pyongyang's official media channel, North Korean Central News Agency (KCNA), as reported by Malaysiakini today, 2 March.

It was reported that one of the women who attacked Jong-nam, vomited after committing the act.

Jong-nam died in just about 20 minutes after being smeared with the VX. The severely toxic nerve agent will disrupt the body's nervous system and is known to be used in chemical warfare.

The two women accused of killing Jong-nam - an Indonesian and a Vietnamese - have been charged with murder yesterday, 1 March.

25-year-old Indonesian, Siti Aisyah and Doan Thi Huong, a 28-year-old from rural northern Vietnam could be hanged if convicted of killing the North Korean leader's estranged half brother.

The women were brought to the court handcuffed and and wearing bulletproof vests, a move which The Guardian described as the "Malaysian authorities' fears that others involved in the killing may want the women silenced".

The Malaysian authorities have already arrested four people in relation to Jong-nam's murder - Siti Aisyah and Doan Thi Huong (arrested and charged with Jong-nam's murder), Siti's boyfriend, 26-year-old Malaysian, Muhammad Farid bin Jalaluddin (the Malaysian police have said that he may be released on bail), and Korean chemist, Ri Jong-chol, who may be released due to lack of evidence.

Here's a list of the seven North Korean nationals that are on Malaysia's wanted list in relation to Jong-nam's murder as of now:

1. Ri Ji-hyon, 33

2. Hong Song-hac, 34

3. O Jong-gil, 55

4. Ri Jae-nam, 57

Immigration details says that all four suspects entered Malaysia less than a month before the attack and left on the day Jong-nam was murdered, 13 February.

The authorities are also looking for a fifth North Korean suspect, 30-year-old Ri Ji U that they believe could still be in Malaysia.

The two other people are - Hyon Kwang-song, 44, a senior North Korean diplomat from the embassy in Kuala Lumpur and Kim Uk-il, 37, an employee of North Korea's state airline, Air Koryo.

The Malaysian authorities believe that these two men may have been "called in for assistance".

The Malaysian authorities have confiscated chemicals, a few pairs of gloves, and shoes from a condominium in Jalan Klang Lama in relation to the murder of Korean leader Kim Jong-un's half-brother, Kim Jong-nam on 13 February in KLIA.

A report by The Star quoted Selangor police chief Abdul Samah, saying that a HAZMAT (hazardous materials) team raided the unit on Saturday, 25 February.

"At this stage, I cannot reveal the details of what was found. Our investigating team is still working on it. We have to wait for our Forensics Unit to conduct an analysis.

"If we find something, we will liaise with the chemistry department for confirmation," added Samah, according to The Star.

It was also mentioned that the Malaysian Chemistry Department will be releasing a report to identify the type of chemicals found and determine if other chemicals were used in the killing of Jong-nam.

The authorities are also looking into whether the chemicals were sourced locally overseas.

"We are looking into this. We haven’t come up with anything. We have never said that this poison, or chemical, was brought in from elsewhere.

"What has been clearly identified these few days is the type of poison or chemical used. But we did not say where it came from," added Samah.

Health Minister Dr S Subramaniam also said that the preliminary results of the autopsy confirmed that Jong-nam was indeed killed by the VX nerve agent that has been classified as a weapon of mass destruction by the United Nations.

"The autopsy report will be handed to the police latest by next week, along with new information we obtained," explained Dr Subramanian as reported by FMT, adding that Jong-nam was sprayed with more than 10mg of the chemical substance.

The nerve agent apparently prevents the deactivation of a neurochemical transmitter, which leads to muscle contraction and relaxation.

"And the doses were so high. It only takes 10mg to be absorbed, for it to be lethal. It finally caused his heart and other vital organs to stop functioning," said Dr Subramaniam.

The authorities have finally managed to identify the substance used in the alleged assassination of Kim Jong-nam. It is known as 'VX nerve agent', a highly toxic liquid used only in chemical warfare.

VX nerve agent is a substance listed as a chemical weapon under the Chemical Weapons Conventions (CWC) of 1997 and 2005. It is also classified by the United Nations (UN) as a weapon of mass destruction.

The substance is tasteless and odourless but could be fatal in low dosages.

The poison was identified in the preliminary analysis of the samples taken from the skin and eye of Jong-nam, who is the half-brother of the North Korean leader, Kim Jong-un.

"We don't know yet (how it was brought into the country). We are trying to find out."

"But if it is a very small amount, it would have been very hard to detect," he was quoted as saying by The Star.

On Friday, 17 February, the Malaysian authorities arrested a North Korean national, Ri Jong-chol, in relation to the mysterious murder of Kim Jong-nam.

Following the arrest last week, North Korean ambassador Kang Chol has accused the Malaysian police of threatening Jong-chol and beating up his son when they raided his condominium to make the arrest.

"Last Friday night, Malaysian plainclothes police raided the condominium of our citizen here in Kuala Lumpur and forcibly arrested him without any warrant or evidence and made it public that they arrested the mastermind before any form of inquiry began.

"They also aired on TV the scene that (the) said person was arrested in fetters. This is a grave human rights abuse.

"They even pointed guns at his family members to threaten their lives and beat his teenage son in the face. This is the human rights abuse that can be seen only in US gang films," said Kang Chol, as reported by Malaysiakini, during the 15-minute press conference at the embassy.

"Where can we find out the precedent that the body of the deceased with clear citizenship is released after the DNA sample is provided?

"As long as the citizenship is clear, his identification is confirmed by the embassy which is in charge of his consular rights and moreover he is a diplomatic passport holder, such request could be regarded as political plot behind the incident," he said.

It was reported that Kang Chol had refused to take any questions from English-speaking reporters and only spoke to a few reporters who spoke Korean.

Inspector-General of Police Tan Sri Khalid Abu Bakar confirmed that the 47-year-old suspect was arrested at around 9.50pm on Friday at his condominium in Jalan Kuchai Lama.

"Based on an i-KAD that he has in his possession, the suspect is identified as with date of birth on May 6, 1970, and a citizen of the Democratic People's Republic of North Korea (DPRK)," said IGP Khalid.

According to a report by The Star on Sunday, 19 February, Jong-chol is a graduate under the field of science and medicine from a North Korean university.

He used to work at a research centre in Kolkata, India until 2011 and moved to Malaysia about a year ago when he got an offer to work at an IT company based here.

The authorities believe that Jong-chol has expertise in chemistry. However, a source said that is is still "too early to conclude that he (Jong-chol) is behind the liquid poison" used to kill Jong-nam.

"He is also being quizzed on the whereabouts of three other accomplices, who are still at large," added the source.

Jong-chol is currently under remand for seven days until Friday, 24 February.

After viewing all the relevant CCTV footage, the Malaysian police have identified four North Korean individuals that were seated at a nearby restaurant in KLIA2 and appeared to be watching the whole incident.

An airline source apparently told Bernama said that the four men left Kuala Lumpur for Jakarta at around 9.50am, about an hour after the assassination happened.

Meanwhile, a waitress at the restaurant the North Korean men were at, said that she didn't realise that anything was wrong as it was during peak hours at the eatery.

"It was our peak period. I don’t think any of us paid any special attention to anyone. We only realised the four were at our restaurant after watching the CCTV footage," she said, as reported by Bernama.

The four men were sitting only about 50 metres from where Kim Jong-nam was attacked.

The Indonesian immigration department has confirmed that the four men left Jakarta for Dubai on Monday, 13 February. The authorities suspect that they have fled to North Korea.

NST reported on 21 February that the authorities have tightened the security at HKL by deploying four our-wheel-drive vehicles carrying more than 10 Special Task Force on Organised Crime (STAFOC) personnel.

Han-sol was expected to arrive at KLIA2 at 7.50pm yesterday, 20 February, via AirAsia flight AK8321 from Macau to undergo DNA tests and identify the body of the man believed to be of his father.

It was reported that about 100 members of both local and foreign press gathered outside the hospital hoping to see Han-sol early morning today, but they've yet to catch a glimpse of the 21-year-old man.

The Selangor state police chief Abdul Samah Mat has informed that Malaysia will not release the body of North Korean leader's half brother, slain Kim Jong-nam, as they are still waiting for his next of kin to provide a DNA sample.

"So far no family member or next of kin has come to identify or claim the body. We need a DNA sample of a family member to match the profile of the dead person.

"North Korea has submitted a request to claim the body, but before we release the body we have to identify who the body belongs to," he explained to AFP.

The third suspect in relation to the murder of Kim Jong-nam was arrested yesterday evening and is believed to be the boyfriend of the Indonesian suspect.

"The suspect is currently remanded in custody to assist investigations," confirmed Inspector-General of Police Tan Sri Khalid Abu Bakar.

The 25-year-old was caught with an Indonesian passport under the name Siti Aisyah and the Indonesian foreign ministry has confirmed that Aisyah is indeed an Indonesian national.

It was reported that the struggling mother was previously working at a garment store that was owned by her then future father-in-law, Lian Koing, in West Jakarta. Indonesian news portal, detik.com, reported Kiong saying that Aisyah was married to his son, Gunawan Hasyim and the couple had a son, Rio, in 2009.

The couple then moved to Malaysia to seek greener pastures. Aisyah found a job as a shopkeeper while Gunawan worked in a restaurant. The couple got a divorce sometime later and Gunawan apparently returned to Jakarta.

It was also mentioned that Aisyah only sees her 7-year-old son who lives in Jakarta once a year and the last time she visited her family was during the Chinese New Year celebrations in late January.

According to the Indonesian immigration department, Aisyah left Indonesia for Malaysia on 2 February 2017 via a ferry from Batam to Johor.

Another unverified report claims that Aisyah was approached by unknown individuals in a nightclub and offered USD100 (RM446) to be a part of a "reality TV prank".

The Star reported today that another female suspect in relation to Kim Jong-nam's murder has been arrested by the police. No details have been provided on the arrest so far.

Yesterday morning, 15 February, the police made the first arrest in relation to the case by catching one of the two women who poisoned Jong-nam to death. She was identified as a 29-year-old named Doan Thi Huong from Nam Dinh, Vietnam.

Inspector-General of Police Tan Sri Khalid Abu Bakar confirmed that Doan was the one captured on the surveillance cameras at KLIA2. The suspect was holding a Vietnamese passport under the name Doan Thi Huong.

"She was in possession of a Socialist Republic of Vietnam travel document. Suspect was positively identified from the CCTV footage at the airport and was alone at the time of the arrest," said Khalid in a statement, as reported by the Malay Mail Online (MMO).

It was also reported that she was alone at the time of arrest and had apparently returned to the airport to catch a flight back to Vietnam.

According to a report by Free Malaysia Today (FMT), the suspect arrested yesterday revealed that she thought the whole incident was a prank. Oriental Daily said that the woman claimed that her travelling partners had asked her to spray the victim as a prank.

"They told me it was a prank. I did not know it was meant to kill him," said the suspect, as reported by the Chinese daily.

The suspect said that the four men she was travelling with had asked her to play a prank by spraying the victim, Jong-nam, with a type of liquid while her female companion covered the victim's face with a handkerchief.

She was said to have been travelling with a female companion and four other men who came to Malaysia as tourists.

It was also reported that a police source claimed that the women left in a taxi while the four men with them had apparently gone to a hotel in Salak Tinggi.

In a report by MMO last night, it was highlighted that North Korean officials had attempted to talk Malaysian police into releasing the body of Kim Jong-nam without a post-mortem.

It was said that journalists at the hospital confirmed that North Korea's ambassador to Malaysia, Kang Chol and other officials from the embassy arrived at the hospital in the afternoon and stayed there till evening, yesterday.

Meanwhile, Deputy Inspector-General of Police Noor Rashid Ibrahim told FMT that the Malaysian police will not be giving in to the request of the North Korean officials and it is their job to conduct proper investigations that include an autopsy on the body before they release it.

"The incident happened here and we have to conduct a thorough investigation and the post-mortem is part of the procedure.

"Who to claim? We will get right to it after all the procedures are completed. Right now, let us do our job," added Rashid.

Channel NewsAsia reported today, 15 February, that the two women suspected of assassinating North Korean leader Kim Jong-un's half-brother, Kim Jong-nam at KLIA2 on Monday may be dead.

"There have been reports that (the two suspects) may already be dead," reported Channel NewsAsia according to Japan's Kyodo news channel.

The Japanese news channel was citing a Japanese government official, who did not provide any other specifications or details on the matter.

This comes after a South Korean cable television network, TV Chosun reported that Jong-nam was murdered by two North Korean spies who later fled the scene in a taxi.

The Star reported Selangor CID chief Senior Assistant Commissioner Fadzil Ahmat, saying that the incident happened around 9am on 13 February. Kim Jong-nam was at the airport, waiting for his 10am flight to Macau when he was killed.

Fadzil told Reuters that Kim Jong-nam had first alerted a receptionist at KLIA2, saying that he had been "grabbed from the behind and had liquid splashed on his face".

"The deceased ... felt like someone grabbed or held his face from behind. He felt dizzy, so he asked for help at the ... counter of KLIA," explained Fadzil, as reported by CNN.

However, Bernama reported Fadzil saying that a woman had apparently "covered Kim Jong-nam's face from behind with a cloth laced with liquid".

With no clear explanation on how the attack actually unfolded, reports surfaced later suggesting that the attack may have been carried out by two women who splashed toxic liquid on his face or may have used poisoned-needle punctures.

Fadzil said that the victim's eyes "suffered burns as a result of the liquid" and died on the way to a hospital in Putrajaya.

In the midst of that, South Korean news channel TV Chosun reported that two women had stabbed Kim Jong-nam with poisoned needles and fled in taxi that the local authorities are currently on the lookout for.

Kim Jong-nam was travelling using a passport with a different name, Kim Chol, born on 10 June 1971, when the incident happened.

While the incident happened on Monday, the Malaysian authorities only confirmed the identity of the victim on Tuesday, 14 February due to the fact that Kim Jong-nam was travelling with an assumed identity.

The Malaysian police only confirmed on Tuesday that the victim is indeed Kim Jong-nam, who was born on 10 May 1971.

BBC said that this is not the first time the half-brother of the North Korean leader was travelling under a different identity, citing reports of him caught trying to enter Japan with a fake passport in 2001. Kim Jong-nam had allegedly told the officials that he had wanted to visit the Tokyo Disneyland.

An article by the New York Times (NYT) yesterday, 14 February spoke in length of how Kim Jong-un may have ordered the assassination of his estranged-half brother. Kim Jong-nam was bypassed for succession in favour of his youngest half-brother, current North Korean leader, Kim Jong-un, when their father, Kim Jong-il, died in 2011.

"Maybe Kim Jong-nam was about to do something drastic that would either compromise the regime or the family. By the nature of things in North Korea, the fact that he is in the bloodline represented a threat," opined Jae H. Ku, director of the U.S.-Korea Institute at the Johns Hopkins School of Advanced International Studies.

Meanwhile, Lee Sung-yoon, a North Korea expert at Tufts University’s Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy, speculated that Kim Jong-un may have ordered for his half-brother to be killed because China may have been supporting the idea of him as a replacement for Kim Jong-un who has allegedly caused an international crisis with missile launching and threats of nuclear weapons tests.

Reports suggested that Kim Jong-nam fell out of favour after the Tokyo Disneyland incident in 2001. However, some analysts in South Korea say that Kim Jong-nam was pushed aside from the succession race as his mother, Sung Hae-rim was rejected by his father and former North Korean leader, Kim Jong-il who apparently favoured Kim Jong-un's mother, Ko Young-hee.

Kim-Jong-nam was exiled by his father, while his brother was being groomed to be the next leader of North Korea. He lived in Macau till late 2011 and eventually went into hiding, with reports claiming that it was out of fear for his life and that his half-brother saw him as a threat to his regime.

South Korea's Institute for National Security published a report at the end of December 2016 alleging that Kim Jong-un had personally ordered the execution of 340 people since he came to power.

The report explained that most of the public executions are carried out with a single bullet, while some have been known to be executed by anti-aircraft weapons, flame-throwers, and even a mortar round was used once.

"Kim Jong-un and his aides are murderous commanders, and many times the agents of the reconnaissance staff of Kim Jong-un have made attempts of poisoning Kim Jong-nam," said Jihyun Park, a North Korean defector based in Manchester, as reported by The Telegraph yesterday, 14 February.

"The fate of Kim Jong-un, his aides, and those who obey North Korean dictators, will disappear on the day Pyongyang's regime collapses," added Ms Park, who's currently a human rights activist.

The North Korean state-controlled media has made no comments on the incident so far.