1 of 2 | Kim Jong Nam may have died after an unidentified chemical entered his bloodstream through his eyes, according to Malaysia police. Photo courtesy of Yonhap/EPA
Feb. 22 (UPI) -- The deadly chemical used in the attack against Kim Jong Un's older half-brother has yet to be identified, but Malaysian police said Wednesday the substance was rubbed on the victim's face before he died in Kuala Lumpur.
Police in Malaysia also said initial testimony from two women suspected in the attack may be false. Airport surveillance footage shows two women, identified as 28-year-old Doan Thi Huong and 24-year-old Siti Aishah, going to a restroom while holding up their hands immediately after the attack.
The two suspects had said they did not know they were participating in an assassination attempt, and said they were led to believe they were shooting a "prank video."
Police now say that claim could false, South Korean newspaper Segye Ilbo reported.
The suspects could also have rehearsed the attack in Indonesia a month before the incident, according to Japanese newspaper Mainichi Shimbun.
The assailants rubbed the chemical into Kim Jong Nam's face with their "bare hands," police said.
The substance may have entered Kim's bloodstream through his eyes, according to the report.
The chemical could have originated from a North Korea biotechnology center, a South Korean activist said Wednesday.
Choi Sung-yong said North Korea's military unit 810 is in charge of developing agricultural chemicals, and that there is evidence the North Korean leader issued an order in December 2014 to remove Kim Jong Nam, according to Yonhap.
More suspects are being identified, Malaysian police say, including a senior North Korean diplomat, Hyon Kwang Song, who is believed to be hiding at the North Korean embassy in Kuala Lumpur.
A second North Korean suspect, Kim Uk Il, is being protected at the North Korean embassy, Malaysian officials say, The Telegraph reported.
North Korea's traditional partners China and Russia have said little about the incident, but the two countries are taking a tougher approach to sanctions against Pyongyang.
The Moscow Times reported Russia is drafting new sanctions against North Korea to block the sale of ships and helicopters. Imports of North Korean copper, nickel, silver and zinc are to also be suspended, the report states.
