23 February 2017•Update: 23 February 2017
By Alex Jensen
SEOUL
North Korea accused Seoul Thursday of a conspiracy, as Pyongyang's state-run media hit back at South Korea's claim that the reclusive state's leader Kim Jong-un ordered the killing of his own half-brother.
Kim Jong-nam, 46, died soon after being approached by two women on Feb. 13 at an airport in Malaysia, where the authorities have identified multiple North Korean suspects -- even though they are yet to confirm how the victim died or even his identity.
An official statement carried by the North's official KCNA news agency accused Malaysian investigators of "unjust acts", reflecting an earlier allegation by Ambassador Kang Chol that investigators are colluding with Seoul.
KCNA went further by linking the timing of the probe with an anti-North Korea "conspiratorial racket" led by South Korea.
Pyongyang's version of events did not mention Kim Jong-nam by name but rather referred to one of its citizens traveling on a diplomatic passport suffering from "shock".
The report also alleged that Seoul's reaction to the death "proves that the South Korean authorities have long expected the case since it worked out a scenario for it".
South Korea's acting President Hwang Kyo-ahn called Monday for global cooperation in punishing Pyongyang -- although Seoul's unification ministry described the North's claim Thursday as "preposterous", according to local news agency Yonhap.
While inter-Korean ties had already broken down completely in recent years, the apparent killing continues to overshadow previously solid relations between Malaysia and North Korea.
For example, the KCNA said Putrajaya's refusal to comply with Pyongyang's request to hand over the victim's body shows Malaysia's "utter disregard of international law and morality".
