Kuala Lumpur: A North Korean envoy on Thursday rejected a Malaysian autopsy finding that VX nerve agent killed Kim Jong Nam, saying the man probably died of a heart attack because he suffered from heart disease, diabetes and high blood pressure.
The death of Kim, the estranged half brother of North Korea's ruler, has unleashed a diplomatic battle between Malaysia and North Korea.
The autopsy is especially sensitive because North Korea had asked Malaysia not to perform one, but authorities carried it out anyway, saying they were following the law. Also today, amid growing fallout from the killing, Malaysia announced it is scrapping visa-free entry for North Koreans.
North Korea has denied any role and accused Malaysia of bias. Ri Tong Il, the former North Korean deputy ambassador to the United Nations, today told a news conference that it made no sense to say the two women used such a deadly toxin without also killing or sickening themselves and people around them. Ri said Kim had a history of heart problems and had been hospitalised in the past. He said he understood that Malaysian officials found medication for diabetes, heart problems and high blood pressure in Kim's belongings and concluded he wasn't fit to travel.
Malaysian police said the attackers knew what they were doing and had been trained to go immediately to the bathroom and wash their hands. Police can't confirm whether the two women may have been given antidotes before the attack. An antidote, atropine, can be injected after exposure and is carried by medics in war zones where weapons of mass destruction are suspected.
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