Malaysia found out the identity of Kim Jong-nam's body based on DNA sample taken from one of his children, the deputy prime minister says.
Kim Jong-nam, the estranged half brother of North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, was murdered on February 13, when Malaysian police say two women smeared super toxic VX nerve agent on his face at Kuala Lumpur International Airport.
But North Korea has so far not identified him as Kim Jong-nam, who was carrying a passport under the name of Kim Chol when he was murdered. No next of kin has come forward to claim the body.
"I again confirm that it is Kim Jong-nam ... This is based on a sample taken from his child," Malaysian Deputy Prime Minister Ahmad Zahid Hamidi told reporters on Wednesday.
Kim had been living in the Chinese territory of Macau with his second wife under Beijing's protection after the family went into exile several years ago. He had spoken out publicly against his family's dynastic control of the isolated, nuclear-armed North Korea.
Video footage of a man claiming to be the son of Kim appeared last week, in which he said he was lying low with his mother and sister.
An official at South Korea's National Intelligence Service confirmed the man in the video was Kim Han Sol, the 21-year-old son of Kim Jong-nam.
The murder has sparked a diplomatic meltdown between two countries with once strong ties. Malaysia refused North Korea's request to release the body without an autopsy and investigation, and then expelled the North Korean ambassador over his remarks questioning the investigations.
North Korea then banned nine Malaysians - three diplomats and their six family members - from leaving the country, in what Malaysian Prime Minister Najib Razak described as taking Malaysians "hostage". The Southeast Asian country followed with a tit-for-tat action.
Formal negotiations between the two countries began on Monday.
