Senior N Korea Diplomat Named As Suspect in Kim Jong-Nam Killing
Local Editor
In the latest developments regarding the investigation in the killing of North Korea leader's exiled brother, Malaysian police named a senior North Korean embassy official they want to question in connection with the killing of Kim Jong-nam.
Hyon Kwang Song is one of three more North Koreans being sought. One of the others is a state airline employee.
Police also confirmed Kim, half-brother of North Korean leader Kim Jong-un, died after two women wiped a toxin on him at Kuala Lumpur airport.
North Korea's embassy in Malaysia angrily denied the claims.
In a statement, it said the fact that the substance was on the hands of the women proved it could not have been a poison and called for the immediate release of the "innocent females" and a North Korean man.
Speaking at a press conference in Kuala Lumpur earlier on Wednesday, Malaysian Police Chief Khalid Abu Bakar said they were looking for three North Koreans in addition to the previously announced suspects.
One of them is Hyon Kwang Song, 44, the second secretary of the North Korean embassy in Kuala Lumpur.
The others are Kim Uk II, 37, who works for Air Koryo, and another North Korean Ri Ju U.
Abu Bakar said they had written to the North Korean ambassador to Malaysia asking him to allow police to interview Hyon and the other two men, who are believed still to be in the country.
If the ambassador does not co-operate, "we will compel them to come to us", he said, without giving details.
Four other North Koreans named earlier in the case are thought to have left Malaysia already.
The police chief also said security had been stepped up at the morgue where Kim's body is being kept after an attempted break-in earlier in the week.
"We knew there were attempts by someone to break into the hospital mortuary. We had to take precautions," he was quoted by the Malay Mail as saying.
Abu Bakar also confirmed widely reported details of the 13 February killing.
A leaked video of the incident shows a man resembling Kim being approached by one woman at Kuala Lumpur airport, before another woman lunges from behind and grabs his face.
North Korea demanded that Kim's body be returned to them, and has angrily objected to Malaysia conducting an autopsy of the body.
Malaysia cited the need to carry out an investigation as Kim died on their soil.
Relations between the two countries became strained over the incident, with North Korea's ambassador to Malaysia saying he did not trust the police investigation and Kuala Lumpur recalling its envoy in Pyongyang.
Source: News Agencies, Edited by website team
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