Seoul has pointed the finger at Pyongyang for the murder of North Korean leader Kim Jong-un’s estranged half-brother, Kim Jong-nam.
 
Following the Malaysian police' briefing on the apparent assassination, Unification Ministry Spokesman Jeong Joon-hee held a news conference on Sunday to address the issue. 

Jeong said although the Malaysian authorities are yet to announce the final result of the investigation, the South Korean government is certain that the man killed at Kuala Lumpur International Airport last Monday was Kim Jong-nam.
 
The spokesman said that given that five of the suspects in connection with the incident are North Korean nationals, the government suspects the North Korean regime is behind the killing.
 
Noting the North’s track record of anti-humanitarian crimes and terrorist acts, Jeong said South Korea and the international community are closely monitoring the "reckless and brutal" incident with serious concerns.
 
He also said the North’s preoccupation with nuclear and missile development, as witnessed by the test-firing of a ballistic missile this year, is clear proof of the serious security threat South Korea is facing.
 
He asserted that the government will safeguard the lives of the South Korean public and national security in the face of the North’s terrorist and nuclear missile threats. 
 
The ministry’s statement came right after Malaysian police identified five North Korean suspects involved in the killing of Kim Jong-nam, including Ri Jong-chol who was arrested on Friday.

[Photo : ]