North Korean leader suspected in an assassination of his half-brother

The estranged half-brother of North Korean leader Kim Jong-un has been murdered at an airport in the Malaysian capital, amid speculation that North Korean agents carried out the attack.

The victim, Kim Jong-nam (AAP) Source: The victim, Kim Jong-nam (AAP)

He is reported to have told medical workers that he had been attacked with a chemical spray.

Kim Jong-nam, the older half-brother of the North Korean leader, was known to spend a significant amount of his time outside the country and had spoken out publicly against his family's dynastic control.

Aidan Foster-Carter, a British analyst on Korean affairs, says he is surprised by the attack.