VX nerve agent used to kill Kim Jong Nam, Malaysia says

KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia — The chemical substance used to kill Kim Jong Nam last week was a nerve agent called VX, police here said, which is listed as a weapon of mass destruction by the United Nations.

Khalid Abu Bakar, Malaysia’s inspector general of police, said Friday in a statement that identification of the substance came from a preliminary report. He said swabs were taken from the eye and face of the victim.

Kim, half brother of North Korean dictator Kim Jong Un, was attacked at Kuala Lumpur International Airport on Feb. 13 while waiting to board a flight to Macau; he died on his way to the hospital. Malaysian police have arrested four suspects, including the alleged attackers and a North Korean citizen who was living in Kuala Lumpur. Police are looking for at least seven more North Korean suspects in the case.

Diplomatic ties between Malaysia and North Korea have worsened following Kim’s death. Relations between the two countries had been relatively warm due to business connections, lax travel restrictions and even direct flights for several years.