Kim Jong-Nam probably died of heart attack, says North Korea

North Korea has said a heart attack – rather than a nerve agent - probably killed Kim Jong-Nam in Malaysia last month. Pyongyang has also yet to accept that the man who died at Kuala Lumpur international airport is Mr Kim, the half-brother of North Korean leader Kim Jong-Un. According to police in Malaysia, two women smeared a deadly VX nerve agent on Mr Kim’s face on 13 February then fled in a cab. The two women, an Indonesian and a Vietnamese, have been charged and could face the death penalty if found guilty. A North Korea envoy sent to Kuala Lumpur has disputed Malaysia’s verdict on Mr Kim’s cause of death.

[There is a] strong indication the cause of the death is the heart attack

Ri Tong Il, former North Korean deputy ambassador to the UN

Speaking to reporters outside the embassy, Ri Tong Il questioned the alleged use of VX, saying samples should be sent to the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW). “If it is true that it was used, then the samples should be sent to the office of OPCW,” said Mr Ri, a former North Korean deputy ambassador to the UN. “In case it is proved by the two separate international laboratories, with the same conclusion, then they should come to identify who is the one that made it. Who is the one that brought it into Malaysia.” He said the victim had a history of heart disease, and appeared to have been taking medicines for high blood pressure and diabetes. “Therefore this is a strong indication the cause of the death is the heart attack,” he said.

North Korea is a society ruled in terror. For a big decision like killing Kim Jong Nam, no one could make a decision like that except Kim Jong Un.

Kim Jong Un