Malaysia to charge two women with murder of Kim Jong Nam

Two women accused of killing the half-brother of North Korea's leader with a nerve agent in a Kuala Lumpur airport terminal will be charged with murder on Wednesday, Malaysia's chief prosecutor has said.

Photo of a man believed to be Kim Jong Nam, the eldest son of then North Korean leader Kim Jong Il. (AP Photo/Shizuo Kambayashi, File)

Mohamed Apandi Ali said the charges against Indonesian Siti Aisyah and Vietnamese Doan Thi Huong would bring a mandatory death sentence if they are convicted.

Two other suspects in the February 13 killing of Kim Jong Nam have been arrested - a Malaysian who is out on bail and a North Korean who remains in custody.

Asked if the North Korean will be charged, Mr Apandi said it depends on the outcome of investigations.

Authorities are seeking another seven North Korean suspects, four of whom fled the country on the day of Mr Kim’s death and are believed to be back in North Korea.

The killing took place amid crowds of travellers at Kuala Lumpur’s airport and appeared to be a well-planned hit.

Malaysian authorities said North Koreans put the deadly nerve agent VX on the hands of Aisyah and Huong, who then placed the toxin on Mr Kim’s face. He died on the way to hospital within about 20 minutes of the attack.

South Korean legislators said on Monday that the country’s National Intelligence Service told them in a private briefing that four of the North Koreans identified as suspects are from the Ministry of State Security, the North’s spy organisation.