Malaysia refuses to release Kim Jong-nam's body, pending next-of-kin DNA

Malaysian police said onFriday they will not release the body of the estrangedhalf-brother of North Korean leader Kim Jong-un until they receiveDNA samples from his next-of-kin.

Police are investigating the death of Kim Jong-nam, theeldest son of the late North Korean leader Kim Jong-il.

Kim, 46, died on Monday after being assaulted at KualaLumpur International Airport with what was thought to be a fast-acting poison.

• PHOTOS: Members of North Korea's ruling family
• Inside the brazen attack on North Korean leader's half-brother

Two female suspects, one an Indonesian and the othercarrying Vietnamese travel documents, have been arrested. AMalaysian man has also been detained to help with inquiries.

Police are still hunting four men believed to have beenaccomplices in the attack.

South Korea's spy agency told lawmakers in Seoul that itbelieved North Korean agents had killed Kim, acting on ordersfrom North Korea's leader Kim Jong-un. U.S. officials toldReuters they also believed North Korean agents were responsible.

Under Chinese protection

The North Korean embassy officially requested on Thursday,for the body of Kim Jong-nam to be released by Malaysia, havingearlier tried in vain to persuade Malaysian authorities not tocarry out an autopsy.

Selangor state police chief Abdul Samah Mat told Reuters thebody would not be released until next-of-kin DNA had beenobtained to confirm the identity of the victim.

"We are still waiting for the next of kin application, wehave not received it yet. We have only received the applicationfrom the North Korean embassy yesterday," the police chief said. "We need to collect DNA samples from the next-of-kin inorder to get conclusive evidence on the victim's identity."

North Korea has made no public reference to Kim Jong-nam'sdeath, and calls to the embassy in Malaysia were unanswered.

Kim Jong-nam had spoken out publicly against his family'sdynastic control of the isolated, nuclear-armed North Korea.

South Korea's intelligence agency told lawmakers in Seoulthat Kim had been living with his second wife in the Chineseterritory ofMacau, where he received China's protection.

• The world according to Kim: Inside North Korea's efforts to keep everyone out

He had been at the airport to catch a flight to Macau whenhe was killed.

Cornelia Charito Siricord, director of forensics within thescience ministry, told Reuters that an analysis was beingcarried out on samples taken from the body to help the police establish the cause of death.