Malaysia: Second Suspect Arrested in the Murder of North Korean Leader's Half-Brother

Malaysian police say they have arrested a second suspect in connection with the murder of Kim Jong-nam, the estranged half-brother of North Korea's leader. According to police, the arrested individual holds an Indonesian passport. The first suspect was arrested on Wednesday. The Malaysian state news agency Bernama reports that the second individual was arrested in the early hours of February 17 and, unlike the first suspect who had Vietnamese identity documents, possesses an Indonesian passport. The exact identities of the arrested individuals, and whether they are citizens of Vietnam, Indonesia, or possibly North Korea, have not been confirmed. Previously, South Korean parliament members stated that the attackers were two women from North Korea and that Kim Jong-nam was poisoned with a fast-acting lethal substance, resulting in his death. This incident occurred two days ago at Kuala Lumpur International Airport. U.S. officials believe that the half-brother of the North Korean leader was killed by agents sent from Pyongyang. The woman arrested early Thursday was alone and identified in her documents as Siti Aisyah, born in 1992. The first suspect is described in Vietnamese identity documents as Nam Dinh, born in 1988. Police obtained images of the suspects through surveillance cameras. North Korea has yet to respond to the events of the past days. South Korean officials had previously stated, based on estimates and the confession of a 'North Korean agent,' that Kim Jong-un was seeking to kill his half-brother. Reports indicate that Kim Jong-nam was exiled by the Kim family after attempting to travel illegally to Japan—reportedly to go to Disneyland—while he was considered a potential leader after his father's death. He then went to Macau, where he apparently spent a significant portion of the past years. Nonetheless, he has been seen in other places and, in one instance, told a number of South Korean citizens who recognized him that he travels alone. At Kuala Lumpur Airport, where he was targeted, he was waiting for a flight to Macau. In 2010, shortly before his brother's leadership, he gave an extensive interview to the Associated Press, where he criticized the North Korean regime. In 2012, he was seen at least once in Beijing and again in Singapore. That same year, South Korean officials stated that a 'detained North Korean agent' had confessed to planning to abduct Kim Jong-nam.