The recent murder of Kim Jong Un’s half-brother, Kim Jong Nam, has led to the shock of the international audience worldwide. In a recent report from Malaysia, traces of VX-nerve agent have been found on Kim Jong Un’s face. The traces of this material, considered a weapon of mass destruction by the UN, were found on swabs from the half-brother’s face and eyes. The report was released despite North Korea’s strong claims that Malaysia had “sinister” intentions in conducting the investigation for his cause of death.
Malaysian Chief of Police Khalid Abu Bakar has commented on the findings. He has claimed it was possible for Kim Jong Nam’s killers to deliver this deadly dose by merely rubbing the agent on his skin or clothing. He claims a drop could have been enough to kill him.
The report and claims fall in line with CCTV footage from a check-in hall at the Kuala Lumpur airport. On the footage, two women approach the half-brother to the North Korean President, and one of them wipes something across his face. This could have been the moment when the nerve agent made contact with his body. Soon after, Kim Jong Un sought medical attention at the airport and died after a seizure on his way to the hospital. The claim made by Kim Jong Nam that someone had sprayed him with liquid has been regarded as a possible diversion for when the nerve agent was rubbed off on him. Footage further shows the women going immediately to wash their hands, an observation Khalid claims means that they were “highly aware” they were handling a highly-toxic substance.
With VX’s ability to be absorbed into the body by inhalation, ingestion, and skin contact, it is no surprise Malaysia is quickly cleaning up the murder scene. The airport has begun a decontamination process with the other areas the suspects visited doing the same. Investigations of how this UN-banned substance found its way into Malaysia are currently underway. “If the amount of the chemical brought in was small, it would be difficult for us to detect,” Khalid went on to say.
So far, one North Korean and the two women who approached Kim Jong Nam at the airport are currently in custody as investigations over his murder continue. One of the women has been vomiting, which is one of the effects of a light dose of the nerve agent.
VX, a tasteless and odorless liquid, is regarded as the most potent of known chemical warfare agents. If rubbed on the skin, it penetrates and disrupts the transmission of nerve impulses which consequently causes death.
Malaysia has made claims that the attack was by North Korean agents. This has been profusely denied by North Korea. Currently, Kim Jong Nam’s body is being held in a mortuary in Malaysia under the custody of the Malaysian government. The government has requested a DNA sample from Kim Jong Un’s family for the body’s release to North Korea, something that the North Korean government has rendered absurd.
