Yesterday (Tuesday, 14th February), several South Korean media outlets reported that the half-brother of North Korea’s leader Kim Jong Un was found dead in Kuala Lumpur.
And now, Malaysian police have confirmed that the man assassinated at Kuala Lumpur International Airport 2 (KLIA2) was indeed Kim Jong Nam.
Kim Jong Nam and Kim Jong Un both had the same father, but had different mothers. The former was also close to his uncle and mentor, Jang Song Thaek, who was North Korea’s 2nd most powerful man before being executed in 2013 by Kim Jong Un.
The elder Kim has also openly denounce hereditary succession in many of his interviews, but has presumed that “there were internal reasons (and) we should abide by such reasons if there are any”.
Despite Kim Jong Nam’s many protest stating that he has no interest in leading the country, many still believed that he was killed by his half-brother as he felt threatened.
In 2015, several media reports also surfaced, saying that North Korean spies attempted to murder Kim Jong Nam in Macau in 2011. A shootout with his bodyguards ensued, but the North Korean managed to escape.
In recent years, he has occasionally been sighted in sushi restaurants in Singapore and swanky hotel bars in Beijing, but otherwise has kept a low profile. He is also believed to have had homes and families in the aforementioned countries.
Kim Jong Nam has also reportedly left behind 2 wives, at least one mistress, and several children.
Sources: The Star Online, The Washington Post (1) (2), The Malay Mail Online.
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