Kim Jong-nam, the estranged half-brother of North Korean leader Kim Jong-un, died after an apparent poisoning at Kuala Lumpur International Airport on February 13. Malaysian authorities said two women approached him in the check-in hall and wiped a substance on his face as he waited for a flight to Macau, where he lived with his family. He sought medical help, suffered convulsions and died on the way to hospital. He was travelling on a passport bearing the name Kim Chol.

Malaysia’s police chief said preliminary laboratory tests found VX nerve agent in swabs from Kim’s eyes and face. VX is a highly toxic, persistent chemical warfare agent banned under the Chemical Weapons Convention. It can be absorbed through the skin and cause vomiting, seizures, paralysis and death. Its discovery raised questions about how it entered Malaysia and whether traces remained at the airport or in medical facilities. Authorities said they intended to decontaminate areas the suspects had visited; the passages report no illnesses among passengers, airport workers or medical staff who treated Kim.

Malaysian investigators accused North Korean agents of directing the attack. Two women, one Vietnamese and one Indonesian, were detained, and police said they were seeking several North Koreans, including an embassy official and an airline employee. Police said the women had experienced vomiting, while toxicologists questioned how they could have handled VX and survived. Relatives and acquaintances of the women maintained that they had been deceived.

North Korea denied responsibility, challenged Malaysia’s investigation and accused it of fabricating evidence. It did not acknowledge that the dead man was Kim Jong-nam. The dispute strained relations between the two countries, with Malaysia warning that it could expel the North Korean ambassador over his accusations.

Kim Jong-nam was the eldest son of former North Korean leader Kim Jong-il and had once been considered a possible successor. After being bypassed in favour of Kim Jong-un, he lived abroad and publicly questioned the regime’s policies and hereditary succession.

The case also drew attention to North Korea’s reported chemical weapons capability. It has not signed the Chemical Weapons Convention, and South Korean estimates placed its stockpile at 2,500 to 5,000 tonnes of chemical agents. The passages also cite estimates that it could produce up to 4,500 tonnes annually in a typical year, and more during an extended crisis.