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North Korea killing: man and second woman held over death of Kim Jong-nam Kim Jong-nam killing: two more held as details emerge of airport attack
(about 3 hours later)
A man and a second woman have been arrested in connection with the killing of Kim Jong-nam, the North Korean leader’s half-brother, who was reportedly poisoned by two female assassins as he waited for a flight in Malaysia, police have said. Two more suspects have been detained in connection with the death of the North Korean dictator’s estranged half-brother, Kim Jong-nam, as further details emerged of his final moments in Kuala Lumpur airport.
The suspects were picked up separately on Wednesday and Thursday. The female suspects were identified using surveillance footage from Kuala Lumpur International airport, where Kim Jong-nam fell ill on Monday morning before dying on the way to the hospital. A female suspect identified from CCTV footage at the airport and a Malaysian man thought by police to be her boyfriend were arrested on Thursday.
The Malaysian inspector general said the second female suspect had been identified as Siti Aishah, an Indonesian national. Her birthday was given as 11 February 1992, and place of birth as Serang, Indonesia. It is not clear if her passport was genuine. The Malaysian inspector general said the female suspect had been identified as Siti Aishah, an Indonesian national. Her birthday was given as 11 February 1992, and place of birth as Serang, Indonesia. It is not clear if her passport was genuine. Police said the Malaysian man provided information that led to her arrest.
Police official Abdul Samah said officers had also detained a Malaysian man, who is believed to be the boyfriend of the second female suspect. On Wednesday police arrested a 28-year-old woman, whose Vietnamese passport bore the name Doan Thi Huong. She too had been positively identified from CCTV footage and was alone at the time of her arrest, the inspector general said. Still photos from the video, confirmed as authentic by police, showed a woman in a skirt and long-sleeved white T-shirt with “LOL” emblazoned on it.
Samah said the man had provided information that led to the arrest of the woman.
The confirmed arrest of two more suspects follows the detention on Wednesday of 28-year-old woman, whose Vietnamese passport bore the name Doan Thi Huong.
She too had been positively identified from CCTV footage and was alone at the time of her arrest, the inspector general said. Still photos from the video, confirmed as authentic by police, showed a woman in a skirt and long-sleeved white T-shirt with “LOL” emblazoned on it.
Investigators are trying to piece together the details of a death that set off a torrent of speculation over whether Kim Jong-un dispatched a hit squad to kill his estranged older sibling.
An autopsy was finished late Wednesday, but the results have not been released.
Malaysian police have reportedly been granted permission to remand both women in custody for seven days.Malaysian police have reportedly been granted permission to remand both women in custody for seven days.
Police are also seeking “a few” other suspects in connection with the killing of Kim Jong-nam, apparently carried out with a fast-acting poison, as he prepared to board a flight from Kuala Lumpur to his home in Macau on Monday morning. Kim died after apparently being killed with a fast-acting poison as he prepared to board a flight to his home in Macau on Monday morning. The attack on Kim, who suddenly fell ill at the airport and died on the way to hospital, was over in five seconds, Malaysian newspaper the New Strait Times (NST) reported on Thursday.
“We are looking for more suspects,” Selangor state police chief Abdul Samah Mat said, but declined to say how many were being sought, or their nationalities. Citing CCTV footage, the paper said Kim was standing in a small crowd near a self check-in counter when one of the alleged attackers stood in front of him to distract him, while another locked him in a chokehold and administered the substance that appears to have killed him.
Intelligence officials in South Korea have said they suspect Kim’s killing was carried out by people working on behalf of the North Korean regime. According to the paper, CCTV appeared to show the suspect who poisoned Kim walking briskly towards a taxi stand wearing a dark-coloured glove on her left hand. When footage picked her up again at the stand, the glove had gone.
There is mounting speculation that his death was ordered by Kim Jong-un, possibly as retribution for criticisms his elder brother made against his leadership in interviews with the Japanese journalist, Yoji Gomi, in 2012. Kim was taken to an airport clinic after seeking help for a headache at an information counter, nurses at the airport said. Footage showed Kim with his eyes shut, grimacing in pain at the clinic, NST said.
As Malaysian authorities searched for other suspects in a case that has focused attention on the apparent lengths to which North Korea will go to ensure the regime’s stability. An autopsy was completed late on Wednesday, but the results have not been released.
Malaysian media cited unnamed sources as saying that North Korean officials had spent hours trying to persuade Malaysia not to conduct an autopsy and for Kim’s body be handed over to Pyongyang. Police said they were seeking “a few” other suspects in connection with the killing, but declined to say how many were being sought, or their nationalities.
Malaysia refused the request, since North Korea did not submit a formal protest, according to Abdul Samah Mat, a senior Malaysian police official. However, Malaysian authorities confirmed on Thursday that the man was Kim Jong-nam and that his body would be taken to North Korea after the autopsy. The death has set off a torrent of speculation over whether Kim Jong-un dispatched a hit squad to kill his estranged older sibling, possibly as retribution for criticisms his elder brother made against his leadership in interviews with the Japanese journalist Yoji Gomi in 2012.
While Pyongyang has made no official comment on Kim’s death, it has not attempted to conceal its interest in his fate. On Wednesday, it sent a black Jaguar car with diplomatic number plates and flags to the mortuary at Kuala Lumpur hospital, where an autopsy was conducted on Wednesday evening. It has also focused attention on the apparent lengths to which North Korea will go to ensure the regime’s stability.
It was not immediately clear if or when the autopsy results would be made public. According to Malaysian media reports, North Korean officials spent hours trying to persuade Malaysia not to conduct an autopsy and for Kim’s body to be handed over to Pyongyang.
Kim, who was 45, fell ill after apparently being attacked from behind with a chemical spray, and died in an ambulance on the way to hospital. Malaysia refused the request, since North Korea did not submit a formal protest, according to Abdul Samah Mat, a senior Malaysian police official. Authorities did however confirm that the body was that of Kim Jong-nam and would be taken to North Korea after the autopsy.
At the time of his death he was carrying a North Korean passport that gave his name as Kim Chol, born in Pyongyang on 10 June 1970. While Pyongyang has made no official comment on Kim’s death, it has not attempted to conceal its interest in his fate. On Wednesday, it sent a black Jaguar car with diplomatic number plates and flags to the mortuary at the Kuala Lumpur hospital where the autopsy was conducted.
His death has sparked speculation about the possible involvement of Kim Jong-un, whose five-year rule of North Korea has been marked by purges and executions of people perceived as a threat to his leadership. Kim Jong-un’s five-year rule of North Korea has been marked by purges and executions of people perceived as a threat to his leadership.
The highest-profile victim of Kim’s “reign of terror” was his uncle, Jang Song-thaek, who was executed on treason charges in late 2013. Jang, once considered his nephew’s most trusted adviser, was also believed to have been close to Kim Jong-nam, whom he had helped raise. The highest-profile victim was his uncle, Jang Song-thaek, who was executed on treason charges in late 2013. Jang, once considered his nephew’s most trusted adviser, was also believed to have been close to Kim Jong-nam, whom he had helped raise.
Kim Jong-nam attempted to lead an unremarkable life with his family in Macau, according to exchanges with Gomi.Kim Jong-nam attempted to lead an unremarkable life with his family in Macau, according to exchanges with Gomi.
“Because I was educated in the west, I was able to enjoy freedom from early age and I still love being free,” he told Gomi, whose book on Kim was published in 2012. “The reason I visit Macau so often is because it’s the most free and liberal place near China, where my family lives.” “Because I was educated in the west, I was able to enjoy freedom from an early age and I still love being free,” he told Gomi, whose book on Kim was published in 2012. “The reason I visit Macau so often is because it’s the most free and liberal place near China, where my family lives.”
Kim Byung-kee, a South Korean MP, said intelligence services had told him Kim Jong-un professed to “hate” his half brother, whom he feared could one day play a role in the overthrow of his regime. Kim Byung-kee, a South Korean MP, said intelligence services had told him Kim Jong-un professed to “hate” his half-brother, whom he feared could one day play a role in overthrowing his regime.
The spy agency’s has also made unverified claims that North Korea had spent five years attempting to kill Kim Jong-nam. The spy agency has also made unverified claims that North Korea had spent five years attempting to kill Kim Jong-nam.
They cited a “genuine” attempt in 2012 after he had described his brother as “just a nominal figure”, and lambasted the county’s hereditary transfer of power as a “joke to the outside world”. It cited an attempt in 2012 after Kim Jong-nam described his sibling as “just a nominal figure”, and lambasted the country’s hereditary transfer of power as a “joke to the outside world”.
“The Kim Jong-un regime will not last long,” he told Gomi. “Without reforms, North Korea will collapse, and when such changes take place, the regime will collapse.”“The Kim Jong-un regime will not last long,” he told Gomi. “Without reforms, North Korea will collapse, and when such changes take place, the regime will collapse.”
A terrified Kim is reported to have written to Kim Kong-un after the 2012 assassination attempt in which he pleaded with his brother to assure his safety and that of his family. He is reported to have written to Kim Jong-un after the 2012 assassination attempt in which he pleaded with his brother to assure his safety and that of his family.
The letter said: “I hope you cancel the order for the punishment of me and my family. We have nowhere to go, nowhere to hide, and we know that the only way to escape is committing suicide.”The letter said: “I hope you cancel the order for the punishment of me and my family. We have nowhere to go, nowhere to hide, and we know that the only way to escape is committing suicide.”
Kim Jong-nam may have succeeded his father, Kim Jong-il, had he not embarrassed the regime in May 2001 with an attempt to enter Japan on a faked Dominican Republic passport.Kim Jong-nam may have succeeded his father, Kim Jong-il, had he not embarrassed the regime in May 2001 with an attempt to enter Japan on a faked Dominican Republic passport.
Kim, accompanied by his wife, another woman believed to be a nanny, and his four-year-old son, were attempting to visit Tokyo Disneyland. They were sent back to North Korea via Beijing, but the incident appears to have ended any hopes Kim had of succeeding his father. Kim, accompanied by his wife, another woman believed to be a nanny, and his four-year-old son, were attempting to visit Tokyo Disneyland. They were sent back to North Korea via Beijing, but the incident appeared to end any hopes Kim had of succeeding his father.
Before his death, he reportedly led a comfortable life touring the casinos of Macau, indulging his love of French and Portuguese wine, and staying at luxury hotels across Asia.
He moved around Macau without bodyguards, but the fear of assassination was never far from his thoughts, according to a resident of the former Portuguese colony who, along with other locals, referred to Kim as “John”.
The South China Morning Post quoted an unnamed source who had known Kim for 10 years as saying: “He knew his life was at risk … and he was aware his brother was after him.”
“He was very cheerful and mingled easily,” the friend, who had requested anonymity, told the newspaper. “He was very humane, he used to help many people here, particularly fellow citizens from South Korea … It is a shame he was not given the chance to live longer.”
Additional reporting by Benjamin Haas in Hong KongAdditional reporting by Benjamin Haas in Hong Kong