North Korean diplomats in Malaysia to get Kim Jong Nam’s body

The body of Kim Jong Nam, killed Feb. 13 at Kuala Lumpur’s airport, is at the center of a heated diplomatic battle between North Korea and Malaysia. Pyongyang opposed Malaysian officials even conducting an autopsy, while Malaysia has resisted giving up the body without getting DNA samples and confirmation from next of kin.

The delegation includes Ri Tong Il, former North Korean deputy ambassador to the United Nations, who told reporters today (Tuesday) outside the North Korean Embassy that the diplomats were in Malaysia to seek the retrieval of the body and the release of a North Korean arrested in the case.

According to the AP dispatch, Ri said the delegation also seeks the “development of friendly relationships” between North Korea and Malaysia.

Malaysia has confirmed that the victim of the attack is Kim Jong Nam, half brother of North Korean leader Kim Jong Un. North Korea, however, has identified the victim only as a North Korean national with a diplomatic passport.

The mysterious killing of the high-profile Macau resident was at the center of talks senior diplomats from South Korea, the United States and Japan are having in Washington today [Macau time], Yonhap News Agency reported.

The trilateral meeting is a focus of attention as it could reveal for the first time how the U.S. views the death of Kim Jong-nam, the estranged half brother of the North’s leader, amid mounting evidence that Pyongyang is behind the poison attack. Eight North Koreans have been named as suspects, but the North has denied its involvement.

Kim Hong-kyun, Seoul’s chief envoy on North Korea issues, said upon arrival in Washington on Sunday that the killing will be a key topic when he hold talks with Joseph Yun, U.S. special representative for North Korea policy, and Kenji Kanasugi, director-general for Asian and Oceanian affairs at Japan’s Foreign Ministry, the agency reported.

“A lot of opinions will be exchanged with regard to the killing of Kim Jong-nam,” Kim told Yonhap at the airport. “In particular, as Malaysia has determined that the chemical weapons agent VX was used in Kim Jong-nam’s killing, there will be discussions on how to deal with that.”