KUALA LUMPUR: Police are investigating the real identity of North Korean national, Kim Chol, who died in Malaysia on Monday, reported to be the half-brother of North Korean leader Kim Jong-Un.
Deputy Inspector-General of Police Tan Sri Noor Rashid Ibrahim said police were also investigating whether the travel document used by Kim Chol, 47, was genuine or forged.
"So far, what we can confirm is that the Korean national was known as Kim Chol, based on the victim's travel document, but we are still investigating whether the passport was genuine or false.
"I advise the media against making any speculation. We will inform of any development regarding the matter," he told Bernama today.
In a statement yesterday, Inspector-General of Police Tan Sri Khalid Abu Bakar said the North Korean man, who tried to seek initial medical assistance at the customer service counter at the Kuala Lumpur 2 International Airport (klia2) yesterday, was identified as Kim Chol, based on his passport details.
It has since been reported that Kim Chol is actually Kim Jong-nam, and that he was assassinated by North Korean operatives at the airport on Monday.
He was supposed to have boarded a flight to Macau before he was poisoned. He died en route to the Putrajaya Hospital.
His remains have since been brought to the Kuala Lumpur Hospital for an autopsy. -- BERNAMA