Anchor: Malaysia is delaying announcing the result of its negotiations with Pyongyang over the handling of the body of North Korean leader Kim Jong-un’s half-brother Kim Jong-nam. The countries were reported to have been ready to strike a deal but speculation is brewing that the two sides are now failing to narrow their differences over certain issues. 
Our Alannah Hill has more.
 
Report: It was initially reported that Malaysia had agreed to hand over the body of the estranged half-brother of North Korean leader Kim Jong-un to North Korea in exchange for the safe return of nine Malaysian citizens being held in the country.
 
Contrasting reports said the body of Kim Jong-nam was moved from the Kuala Lumpur International Airport back to the Kuala Lumpur hospital where it has been kept since his death on February 13th. 
 
In response to various conflicting media reports, the Malaysian health authorities said Malaysia and North Korea are yet to see eye to eye on all the related issues and that no clear solution has emerged.
 
Health Minister Datuk Seri Dr S. Subramaniam said Tuesday that the Malaysian government will not cremate Kim’s body due to the sensitive nature of the case.
 
[Sound bite: Malaysian Health Minister Datuk Seri Dr S. Subramaniam (English)]
“As far as I know, the body has always been in HKL(Hospital Kuala Lumpur). Whether it was given to another group, the answer is no.”
 
Some observers speculated that the two countries had almost reached an agreement on the handling of Kim’s body but discovered some significant differences in opinions at the last moment. 
 
The Malaysian government initially planned to announce the result of the talks with Pyongyang on Monday, but the announcement has yet to be made.
 
Japanese public broadcaster NHK reported that two of the North Korean suspects in Kim’s murder case were on the passenger list of a flight from Kuala Lumpur to Beijing on Monday, however they did not board the plane.  
 
As the negotiations between Malaysia and North Korea are showing signs of turbulence, China has chimed in, putting pressure on both sides to resolve the case through dialogue. 
Alannah Hill, KBS World Radio News. 

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