The half-brother of North Korean leader Kim Jong-Un has been assassinated in Malaysia, South Korean media reported on Tuesday, with one TV station saying he was attacked at the country's main airport with poisoned needles.
Officials in Seoul could not be reached for comment on the reported death of Kim Jong-Nam. Malaysian police said an unidentified Korean had been taken sick at Kuala lumpur International Airport and since died.
If confirmed, Kim Jong-Nam's case would be the highest-profile death under the Kim Jong-Un regime since the execution of the leader's uncle Jang Song-Thaek in December 2013.
Kim Jong-Un has been trying to strengthen his grip on power in the face of growing international pressure over his country's nuclear and missile programmes. He has reportedly staged a series of executions.
The latest launch on Sunday of a new intermediate-range missile brought UN Security Council condemnation and vows of a strong response from US President Donald Trump.
South Korea's national news agency Yonhap quoted a Seoul government source as saying Kim Jong-Nam was killed on Monday.
Another source cited by Yonhap said agents of the North's spy agency, the Reconnaissance General Bureau, carried out the assassination by taking advantage of a security loophole between Jong-Nam's bodyguards and Malaysian police at the airport.
The 45-year-old was killed by two unidentified female agents using poisoned needles at the airport, according to South Korean broadcaster TV Chosun.