Kuala Lumpur – A North Korean man in custody over last month’s killing of Kim Jong Nam in Kuala Lumpur will be released and deported, Malaysian officials said Thursday.
Ri Jong Chol, who was taken into custody on February 17, will be sent to the immigration department on Friday before being deported to North Korea because he does not have valid travel documents, Malaysia’s Attorney General Mohamed Apandi Ali said.
Kim, the estranged half-brother of North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, was killed on February 13 at Kuala Lumpur’s international airport.
Police have not said why Ri was being held.
Also on Thursday, Malaysia’s Deputy Prime Minister Zahid Hamidi said that North Korean nationals travelling to Malaysia will need to apply for visas starting next week.
Previously, North Koreans could enter Malaysia without a visa and remain for up to 30 days.
The policy change is meant to address security concerns following Kim’s killing, the minister said.
On Wednesday, two women were charged with murder for allegedly poisoning Kim by rubbing VX nerve agent on his face.
Malaysian police are still searching for a total of seven North Koreans believed to be linked to the killing, including a diplomat at the North Korean embassy in Kuala Lumpur and an airline worker with Air Koryo, the state national airline.
On Tuesday, Pyongyang sent a high-level delegation to Malaysia seeking the body of Kim Jong Nam.
The aftermath of the high-profile killing has strained diplomatic relations between Pyongyang and Kuala Lumpur.
-dpa
