New CCTV footage, reportedly showing the moment Kim Jong-nam was attacked by a female North Korean assassin at Kuala Lumpur airport, was released by Japanese broadcaster Fuji TV on Monday. The poor quality video shows Jong-nam, the half-brother of North Korean Leader Kim Jong-un, walking through the airport terminal building before being grabbed by a woman wearing white, who allegedly then smeared his face with fast acting poison. Further footage then shows Kim Jong-nam reporting the attack to officials at the airport, before later being escorted to a nearby medical facility.

Kim Jong-nam was the eldest son of former North Korean leader Kim Jong-il and had been considered as the heir apparent to his father. However, it is believed that he fell out of favor with his father following an attempt to visit Tokyo Disneyland by using a fake passport to enter Japan in 2001. He was later exiled from his home country after becoming an outspoken critic of the regime and an advocate for reform. He had most recently been living in Macau under Chinese protection.

Assassination fallout

Malaysian police have reportedly detained four suspects in connection with the murder and continue to hunt four North Korean suspects that fled the country on the day of the attack.

The killing has led to strained diplomatic relations between Malaysia and North Korea, the latter having opposed any attempt at an autopsy and demanding the body be handed over to officials from the isolated Stalinist state.

North Korea's ambassador to Malaysia has also accused the Malaysians of 'concealing something' and blamed the police for deception regarding the incident, leading to his summons by the Malaysian foreign ministry on Monday. The Malaysian government has refused both requests from the North Koreans and ordered the police to continue with their investigations.

Following their meeting, the North Korean ambassador has continued his accusatory stance towards the Malaysian authorities, going further by questioning the identity of the victim himself and referring to him as 'Kim Chol', the name on the passport that the deceased was carrying at the time. It was common knowledge that Kim Jong-nam held several passports, with Kim Chol a known pseudonym.

The Malaysian government also recalled its representative in Pyongyang 'for consultations', an important step considering the two countries had previously held cordial diplomatic relations. Najib Razak, the Malaysian Prime Minister, stressed his confidence in his police force and medical teams alongside the investigation that was being carried out into the killing. He went further to state that whilst there was no reason to 'paint the North Koreans in a bad light' he expected them 'to understand that we apply the rule of law in Malaysia'.

Neighbors' reaction

Officials from South Korea have made it clear that they have no doubt Kim Jong-nam was assassinated at the request of Pyongyang. There may also be further fallout from China, undoubtedly enraged at losing a close North Korean contact. North Korea may face some back-channel diplomatic reactions from Beijing.

The biggest fallout for the North Koreans may yet come from the US. South Korean analysts believe that the assassination may force the US congress to re-list North Korea as a state-sponsor of terrorism, further isolating the already neglected state.
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