Kim Jong Nam’s murder suspect was deported

It has been reported that Ri Jong Chol, the only North Korean detained in connection with the killing of Kim Jong Nam, deported to North Korea.

According to the Associated Press and New Straits Times of Malaysia, the suspect Ri was surrounded by about 10 police officers and taken out of a police station in Kuala Lumpur on Friday morning. He had been interrogated by officers in the district of Sepang in Kuala Lumpur. After Ri was freed from the police, he was escorted to the Malaysian immigration for his deportation.

The Malaysian government harshly criticized North Korea on Friday after ending its free-visa entry deal with Pyeongyang on Thursday. In particular, the Malaysian government has fully denied any allegation over “death from heart attack” made by Ri Dong Il, former deputy ambassador to the United Nations who arrived in Malaysia.

Malaysian police chief Khalid Abu Bakar told reporters that the Malaysian police have specialists who can identify the cause of Kim’s death. “Thanks to investigation process with help from specialists, we can confirm‎ that Kim was murdered. North Korea can say anything they want, but the undeniable fact is that Kim was murdered.”

It is also alleged that Kim’s identity can be verified without any DNA testing. A tattoo on the stomach of dead body will be the key to confirm‎ his identity. On the stomach of Kim’s body, currently held at the hospital in Kuala Lumpur, there is a tattoo of a man fishing two carps. This tattoo has been identified in a picture he took with his friends in Singapore in 2013. Japanese journalist named Mizumi Fujita also confirmed Kim’s tattoo.

Se-Hyung Lee turtle@donga.com