Scientists explain why suspect survived in Kim Jong-nam case

Some chemical experts believe that two women may have survived by taking antidotes in the suspected assassination of Kim Jong-nam in Malaysia.

Mr. Kim Jong-nam, half-brother of North Korean leader Kim Jong-un. Photo: Facebook

Some newspapers reported that two female suspects, Siti Aishah and Doan Thi Huong, felt headaches and fever all over their bodies after attacking the man believed to be Kim Jong-nam, according to Zaobao.

Some people explained that the two female suspects were injected with antidotes before committing the crime.However, the sheetOriental DailyHong Kong quoted biochemist Raymond A. Zilinskas of the Monterey Institute of International Studies, USA, as hypothesizing that even if Siti Aishah and Doan Thi Huong wore gloves during the attack, the two female suspects would still have died from VX.

Zilinskas hypothesized that Siti Aisyah and Doan Thi Huong each applied a different compound to Kim Jong-nam's face and this combination created the destructive poison VX.

ZilinskasIt is believed that only 10 ml of VX is enough to kill a person. This method of committing the crime is considered smart, less disruptive and difficult to investigate. Biochemists say VX is very sticky, unlike other poisons that are highly dispersed.

Based on the scene video,Zilinskas said the two female suspects used a chemical-soaked cloth to attack Kim Jong-nam, so the poison did not spread around.

According to Zilinskas, VX is deadly when absorbed into the bloodstream, with poisoning symptoms and time to death depending on the dose.Zilinskas predicted that the suspects used a small dose of poison, so Kim Jong-nam could still walk for a while and seek help from airport staff.

Citing initial reports about Kim Jong-nam's suspected death from heart disease,Zilinskas believes this is a reaction that occurs after the VX agent destroys the nerve agent.absorbed into the blood, causing cardiac arrest and respiratory failure.

Suspects in the Kim Jong-nam case.

The female suspect quickly washed her hands after committing the crime, minimizing the danger caused by VX, Zilinskas said, adding that this proves the suspect had been trained.

However, a chemical expert from the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI) cited a Malaysian police report saying that after the attack, Kim Jong-nam did not show any symptoms of poisoning, and airport staff who came into contact with Kim also showed no unusual signs, according toscientific journalsNew Scientist.This is suspicious.

SIPRI experts said that the above points raised many doubts because just one drop of VX chemical falling on the female suspect would cause some symptoms. Meanwhile, Malaysian police only revealed the details of the female suspect vomiting, without any other details. On the other hand, the female suspect is detained and is not allowed to contact outsiders, so there is no further information.

New Scientist believes the female suspects used the antidote Atropine to avoid death. However, the fact that medical staff who came into contact with the victims were unharmed further raises suspicions.

Attack on North Koreans at Malaysian airport:

On February 13, the man whose passport name is Kim Chol was murdered with the nerve agent VX. He died on the way to the hospital.

South Korean officials and Malaysia's deputy prime minister say the victim is actually Kim Jong-nam, the half-brother of North Korean leader Kim Jong-un. However, North Korea has so far only identified the victim as Kim Chol. A statement from North Korea's state news agency KCNA on the incident did not mention Kim Jong-nam by name. Police need DNA, medical and dental records to identify the body.

VX nerve agent is classified by the United Nations as a weapon of mass destruction and Malaysian police are trying to trace the source of the agent to determine whether it was brought in from abroad or produced locally.

The North Korean embassy in Malaysia has rejected Malaysia’s claim that the female suspects are innocent and that the male citizen died of other causes. Based on the Malaysian police statement, North Korea questioned why the women were still alive after attacking Kim Chol with poison with their bare hands.

According to VNE