Malaysian police confirm Kim Jong-nam was murdered at the airport

Reuters/Kyodo/THX reported that Malaysian Police Inspector General Khalid Abu Bakar on March 10 officially confirmed the identity of the body of the man murdered at Kuala Lumpur International Airport on February 13 as Kim Jong-nam, but did not provide details on how the victim's body was identified, citing the need to ensure "witness safety."

Speaking at a press conference, Mr Khalid Abu Bakar said: "We have verified that Mr Kim Chol is Mr Kim Jong-nam. I will not be able to tell you how we verified it for the safety and security of the witness."

Mr. Kim Jong-nam. (Source: AP)

However, Mr Khalid Abu Bakar refused to say whether DNA testing had been carried out to identify the body. The Inspector General of Police added that the police had carried out the legal requirements for the identification of the body of the man.

Khalid Abu Bakar said the victim's body would be transferred to the Malaysian Health Ministry because Malaysian police had completed their investigation into the identification and because no family members had come forward to claim the body.

Days after the murder, Malaysian police said they would not release the body until Malaysia received DNA samples from the victim's next of kin.

The statement by the head of Malaysian police comes amid a diplomatic row between Malaysia and North Korea over the man's death. North Korea has yet to comment on the news.

Previously, Pyongyang always affirmed that the murdered man was Mr. Kim Chol, not Mr. Kim Jong-nam, the half-brother of North Korean leader Kim Jong-un./.

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