Kim Jong Un’s Half-brother Was Killed Using a Toxic Nerve Agent

VXNerve Agent, a fatal nerve agent was used to kill Kim Jong Un’s Half-Brother.

VX Nerve Agent, a fatal nerve agent was used to kill Kim Jong Nam.

VX nerve agent was used to kill the estranged half-brother of North Korean leader Kim Jong Un. Kim Jong Nam died on 13 February after being assaulted by two women who wiped the toxic chemical on his face as he prepared to board a flight to Macau at Kuala Lumpur International Airport.

Malaysian police were investigating whether the illegal VX – believed to be the most toxic known nerve agent – was brought into the country or made there, and authorities were sweeping the airport and other locations for radioactive material.

If the amount of the chemical brought in was small, it would be difficult for us to detect.

Khalid Abu Bakar

Police arrested the two women – one Vietnamese and the other Indonesian – and a North Korean man last week. They are also seeking seven other North Koreans wanted in connection with the case, including a diplomat at the embassy in Kuala Lumpur. South Korean and US officials have said they believe North Korean agents assassinated Kim Jong Nam.

Police said swabs taken from the eye and the face of the North Korean murder victim revealed the presence of VX nerve agent. Khalid said the two women who were paid to carry out the assault had washed their hands before fleeing from the airport. But he said one of them was suffering from the effects of the chemical and was vomiting.

Most Toxic Nerve Agent

VX is tasteless and odourless, and is banned under the Chemical Weapons Convention, except for "research, medical or pharmaceutical purposes". VX in liquid form can be absorbed into the body through skin or eye contact. After giddiness and nausea, exposure to VX quickly progresses to convulsions and respiratory failure before death, according to the US.

Suspects Wanted

Malaysian authorities requested Interpol to apprehend four North Korean suspects who are believed to have fled Malaysia on the day of the attack. They also want to question the second secretary at the North Korean embassy and are seeking two other North Koreans who are still believed to be in Malaysia. The investigation has resulted in fraught relations between two countries that had hitherto maintained friendly ties.