Kim Jong Nam Was Carrying the Antidote to the Toxin That Killed Him, a Malaysian Court Hears

Eli Meixler
Updated
The assassinated half-brother of North Korean leader Kim Jong Un had bottles of a poison antidote in his backpack, a toxicology report showed

Kim Jong Nam was carrying a poison antidote when he was assassinated in February at Malaysia’s Kuala Lumpur airport, according to a toxicology report submitted at his murder trial.

Twelve bottles containing Atropine, a medication that relieves muscle spasms, clears passages, and can be used to treat poisoning, were found in a backpack that Kim was carrying when he died, according to the local Star newspaper. A toxicology test confirmed that the bottles contained the antidote, a government doctor told the High Court on Wednesday.

Three other North Koreans, including an embassy official and an employee of North Korea’s state airline, were allowed to return to North Korea at the end of March after giving statements to police. The North Koreans were exchanged in a swap for nine Malaysians — three diplomats their families, including four children — who had been trapped in North Korea by a travel ban, Reuters reported.