North Korea used a chemical warfare agent to assassinate the half-brother of its leader Kim Jong Un in Malaysia last year, the US has concluded and imposed new sanctions against the reclusive nation to stop its unlawful activities.
The US’ claim came just hours after North Korea signalled it was willing to give up its nuclear weapons.
Kim Jong-nam, the estranged half-brother of North Korean leader Kim Jong-un, died after two women approached him and smeared a deadly nerve agent on his face in Malaysia on February 13 last year.
The US determined on February 22 under the Chemical and Biological Weapons Control and Warfare Elimination Act of 1991 (CBW Act) that the Government of North Korea used the chemical warfare agent VX to assassinate Kim Jong Nam, in the Kuala lumpur airport, State Department Spokesperson Heather Nauert said.
VX is an extremely toxic synthetic chemical compound. VX fatalities occur with exposure to tens of milligram quantities via inhalation or absorption through skin. On such exposure, it severely disrupts the body’s signalling between the nervous and muscular systems.