SWAP

Malaysia Agrees to Return Kim Jong Nam’s Body to North Korea

Pyongyang will release nine Malaysians in return.

Malaysia has agreed to return the body of Kim Jong Nam to North Korea, officials said Thursday. Kim, the estranged half-brother of North Korean ledaer Kim Jong Un, was killed at the Kuala Lumpur airport last month when he was poisoned with a banned nerve agent. In exchange for Kim’s body, Pyongyang will return nine Malaysians who were being held there. North Korea has been blamed for the killing, but has steadfastly denied involvement. Earlier Thursday, Reuters reported that Malaysian authorities initially misidentified Kim after his death as a South Korean citizen. Officials reportedly confused the south and the north after reading Kim’s passport.