Kim Jong Un’s Half-Brother Killed In Malaysia

The half-brother of North Korean leader Kim Jong Un has been killed in an attack at a Malaysian airport.

According to the BBC, Kim Jong Nam, half-brother of Kim Jong Un, was waiting for a flight at an airport in Malaysia’s capital, Kuala Lumpur, when he was attacked. A woman reportedly covered his eyes with a cloth, which burned his eyes.

Malaysian police say the oldest son of the late Kim Jong Il was using a passport with a different name. He is believed to have fled North Korea after he was passed over for the leadership role, now occupied by his half-brother. 

Kim Jong Nam was in the budget terminal of Kuala Lumpur International Airport, waiting on a flight to Macau, when the attack took place. 

The details of the attack are still unclear, but police say that Kim Jong Nam altered a receptionist that somebody had “grabbed him from behind and splashed a liquid on his face.” Early reports mentioned a “spray” or a needle being used on Kim, but later reports say a woman came up from behind and “covered his face with a cloth laced with liquid.”

Police official Fadzil Ahmat said that Kim “suffered burns as a result of the liquid.”

Kim later died on his way to the hospital, according to the New York Post.

“So far there are no suspects, but we have started investigations and are looking at a few possibilities to get leads,” Ahmat told Reuters, according to the BBC.

Media in South Korea identified Kim as the victim early Tuesday, but Malaysian authorities reported that the victim of the incident was unidentified.

One police statement identified the victim as “Kim Chol,” born on June 10, 1970. Kim Jong Nam was born on May 10, 1971.

Eventually, it was confirmed that the victim was in fact the half-brother of North Korea’s leader.

Sources: BBC, New York Post / Photo Credit: Reuters via New York Post