Malaysia asks China to confirm identity of Kim Jong-nam

MALAYSIA has sought the assistance of the Chinese government in reaching a next of kin for Kim Jong-nam to get a positive identification of the body.

The move is likely to increase the already fraught relations between Kuala Lumpur and Pyongyang following the murder last Monday of the half-brother of Kim Jong-un, North Korea’s Supreme Leader. Tensions have also risen between Pyongyang and its key ally, China, over the murder.

The body has been identified by Malaysian authorities as Kim Jong-nam, but North Korea has refused to confirm this and has been referring to him as Kim Chol, the name on the victim’s passport.

“While the North Korea embassy in Malaysia is yet to assist Malaysia to contact the Kim Chol’s next of kin, Malaysia police have no other option but to go through the proper channel to request that the China government assists in seeking of Kim Chol’s next of kin,” a senior security source who did not want to be named told The Daily Telegraph.

Mr Kim’s next-of-kin is either Kim Han-sol, the 21- year-old son of Kim Jongnam, who was given a police guard at university in France in 2013, or Kim Sol-hui, his 19-year-old daughter.

Kim Han-sol is keen to come to Malaysia to pay his respects to his father, but fears being assassinated himself, police said. It is possible Kim Jong-un sees Kim Han-sol as the heir to his father’s claim to leadership.

Kim Sol-hui is expected to visit Malaysia on Sunday and provide DNA samples. She would then fly to Macau, as China’s embassy would be assisting her to go through the formalities for body claiming, the source said.