North Korean envoy blasts Malaysians, calls for joint probe

KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia — North Korea’s ambassador to Malaysia denounced the country’s investigation into the death of the exiled half brother of North Korea’s ruler, calling it politically motivated and demanding a joint probe amid bitter exchanges between the nations.

Malaysia responded with its own accusations, with a foreign ministry statement saying the ambassador’s comments were “culled from delusions, lies and half-truths.” Earlier Monday, Malaysia said it was recalling its ambassador to Pyongyang.

The war of words is striking because Malaysia has been one of the few countries that North Korea could count as a friend. But it also underscores the stakes for Pyongyang.

The acting president of South Korea, Hwang Kyoahn, on Monday called the killing of Kim Jong Nam “an intolerable crime against humanity and terrorist act” masterminded by North Korea.

In the latest developments, Kim Han Sol, the 20something son of Kim Jong Nam, is thought to have arrived in Kuala Lumpur Monday night. Malaysian authorities have been insisting on a DNA match before releasing the body, so Kim Han Sol could have arrived to provide it.

The diplomatic tensions come in the wake of the death last week of Kim Jong Nam, who died after apparently being poisoned in the Kuala Lumpur airport.

The attack spiraled into diplomatic fury when Malaysia refused to hand over Kim Jong Nam’s corpse to North Korean diplomats and proceeded with at least one autopsy over the diplomats’ objections.

“The investigation by the Malaysian police is not for the clarification of the cause of the death and search for the suspect, but it is out of the political aim,” North Korean Ambassador Kang Chol said Monday, saying Malaysia was in collusion with South Korea, as Seoul tries to deflect attention from its own political crisis.

Police “pinned the suspicion on us, and targeted the investigation against us,” Mr. Kang said, calling on Malaysia to work with North Korea to investigate.

Malaysia Prime Minister Najib Razak said later Monday he had confidence in the objectivity of his country’s police and doctors.

Police have so far arrested four people carrying identity documents from North Korea, Malaysia, Indonesia and Vietnam.

The New York Times and The Washington Post contributed.

Fuji Television via AP An image from airport closed-circuit television video shows Kim Jong Nam, facing camera, exiled half brother of North Korea's leader Kim Jong Un, talking to airport security Feb. 13 after he was attacked at Kuala Lumpur International Airport, Malaysia.