Kim Jong-Nam (45) was the half-brother of North Korean leader Kim Jong-Un, and he was assassinated by two female agents belonging to North Korea. The venue was Kuala Lumpur International Airport in Malaysia from where he was scheduled to fly to Macau. Sky News reported that he was attacked and died as he was being taken to the hospital.
The cause of death is under investigation but, the weapon used by the women assassins is believed to be a set of poisoned needles. The killers left the scene post-haste in a taxi after their mission was accomplished.
Why was Kim Jong-Nam killed?
Kim Jong-Nam was the son of a South Korean-born actress Song Hye-Rim and former North Korean leader Kim Jong-Il. She had a relationship with Kim Jong-Il who was opposed to North Korea’s dynastic succession policy and wanted to introduce reforms in the country.
The assassinated man lived with his family in exile in Macau, Singapore, and China and there was an earlier attempt to eliminate him in 2010. This was revealed by a North Korean who was detained as a spy in October 2012. He admitted that he was involved in a sinister plot to kill the half-brother by staging a hit-and-run car accident in China.
Eliminating trouble makers is common in North Korea
Kim Jong-Un is the undisputed leader and supremo of North Korea and harbors a dislike for anyone who does not toe the line.
His solution is to eliminate such people because they are trouble makers and deserve nothing better than death.
In December 2013, it was his uncle General Jang Song-Thaek who was in the firing line. At that time, he was the second most powerful official in North Korea and had been instrumental in helping the supremo consolidate power after the death of his father.
However, the General was rewarded with death by firing squad after being branded as a traitor – he was, apparently, trying to work against the interests of the state.
It is a well-known fact that North Korean faces sanctions due to its nuclear programs and programs related to missiles. In spite of international condemnation but Kim Jong-Un continues to go ahead with his nuclear adventures and has been labeled as a dictator by none other than the dead half-brother's son who had studied in Paris.
