The Unresolved Mystery of Kim Jong-nam’s Assassination: How North Korea Got Away with Murder
The assassination of Kim Jong-nam, the half-brother of North Korean leader Kim Jong-un, was a shocking and brazen act of state-sponsored terrorism that exposed the ruthless and paranoid nature of the Kim regime. It also revealed the limitations and challenges of the international community in holding North Korea accountable for its crimes and preventing further provocations.
North Korea orchestrated the murder of Kim Jong-nam by using two unsuspecting women as pawns, who were deceived into smearing a deadly nerve agent on his face at a crowded airport in Malaysia. The agents then fled the country, leaving behind the women to face the consequences.
This event deserve further scrutiny. What was the motive behind the assassination of Kim Jong-nam? Was he seen as a potential threat or rival to Kim Jong-un, who had consolidated his power by purging and executing many of his family members and officials? Was he involved in any clandestine activities or contacts with foreign intelligence agencies, as some reports suggest? Or was he simply a convenient target to demonstrate the reach and ruthlessness of the Kim regime?
The international community failed to adequately address and resolve the assassination of Kim Jong-nam. The North Korean regime got away with the murder, without facing any serious consequences or accountability. The two women were eventually released, after a long and controversial trial, but their lives and futures were irreversibly damaged. The Malaysian government was forced to negotiate and compromise with North Korea, in order to secure the release of its citizens who were held hostage in Pyongyang. The rest of the world seemed to move on and forget about the incident, as it was overshadowed by other developments and crises.
The assassination of Kim Jong-nam was not only a tragic and senseless loss of life, but also a wake-up call and a warning to the world. It showed that North Korea is willing and capable of carrying out heinous and horrific acts of violence, without any regard for the consequences or the rules of the international order. It also showed that the world is ill-prepared and ineffective in dealing with such acts, and in deterring and preventing further ones. This crime challenges us to rethink and reconsider our approach and attitude towards North Korea, and to seek a more comprehensive and sustainable solution to the problem.
