Malaysia: VX Nerve Agent Killed North Korea’s Kim

 

Malaysian police say the nerve agent VX was used to kill the half-brother of North Korean leader Kim Jong Un.

Investigators¹ found traces of the poison on Kim Jong Nam’s eyes and face, police announced Friday.

Kim was killed February 13 at the airport in Malaysia’s capital, Kuala Lumpur.

Two women suspects have been detained by Malaysian police in connection with the killing². One of the women was identified as Indonesian, the other had a Vietnamese passport.

The two women were seen in surveillance footage wiping the chemical on Kim’s face at the airport, Malaysian police said. Kim was preparing to board a flight from Kuala Lumpur to the Chinese territory of Macau, where he has been living.

A North Korean man has also been detained in Malaysia. Several other suspects are being sought, including an official who worked at North Korea’s embassy.

South Korea has accused the North Korean government of being behind the attack. It says Kim Jong Nam has been under a North Korean assassination³ order for years. North Korea has denied involvement in the killing and said it does not trust Malaysian police to conduct a proper investigation⁴.

Security cameras show the two women quickly walking away from Kim in opposite directions after putting the poison on his face. A Malaysian police official said the women were trained to go straight to washrooms to clean their hands. He said one of the women got sick and threw up after the attack.

Police said they believe the women were paid to carry out the attack and had practiced their methods in advance.

In the security video, Kim appears unharmed immediately after the attack. He is seen pointing to his face while speaking with airport officials and guards. Kim was later put in an ambulance to the hospital, but suffered seizures⁶ on the way and died.

What is VX nerve agent?

VX is a highly deadly nerve agent identified as a weapon of mass destruction by the United Nations. It is banned worldwide except for official research purposes.

Experts describe it as a “very toxic⁷” chemical that can kill even in very small amounts. VX has no taste or smell. It can be breathed in, swallowed or absorbed through the skin.

In anywhere from a few seconds to a few hours, it can cause a range of symptoms, from vision problems to headaches. It can also cause other serious conditions, and eventually death.

There is an antidote⁸ to VX that can be given by injection.

The chemical can take days or even weeks to completely disappear. This raised concerns that other people might have come into contact with VX at the airport. Malaysian police said steps were being taken to decontaminate the airport.

Words in This Story

assassination – n. to the killing of someone, usually for political reasons

ambulance – n. vehicle to transport sick people to the hospital

seizure⁵ – n. medical condition during which a person loses consciousness and the body moves uncontrollably

toxic – adj. containing poisonous substances

absorb – v. to take in something

antidote – n. substance that stops the harmful effects of poison

decontaminate – v. remove dangerous materials

1 investigators   

n.调查者，审查者( investigator的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• This memo could be the smoking gun that investigators have been looking for. 这份备忘录可能是调查人员一直在寻找的证据。
• The team consisted of six investigators and two secretaries. 这个团队由六个调查人员和两个秘书组成。 来自《简明英汉词典》

2 killing   

n.巨额利润；突然赚大钱，发大财

参考例句：

• Investors are set to make a killing from the sell-off.投资者准备清仓以便大赚一笔。
• Last week my brother made a killing on Wall Street.上个周我兄弟在华尔街赚了一大笔。

3 assassination   

n.暗杀；暗杀事件

参考例句：

• The assassination of the president brought matters to a head.总统遭暗杀使事态到了严重关头。
• Lincoln's assassination in 1865 shocked the whole nation.1865年，林肯遇刺事件震惊全美国。

4 investigation   

n.调查，调查研究

参考例句：

• In an investigation,a new fact became known, which told against him.在调查中新发现了一件对他不利的事实。
• He drew the conclusion by building on his own investigation.他根据自己的调查研究作出结论。

5 seizure   

n.没收；占有；抵押

参考例句：

• The seizure of contraband is made by customs.那些走私品是被海关没收的。
• The courts ordered the seizure of all her property.法院下令查封她所有的财产。

6 seizures   

n.起获( seizure的名词复数 )；没收；充公；起获的赃物

参考例句：

• Seizures of illicit drugs have increased by 30% this year. 今年违禁药品的扣押增长了30%。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• Other causes of unconsciousness predisposing to aspiration lung abscess are convulsive seizures. 造成吸入性肺脓肿昏迷的其他原因，有惊厥发作。 来自辞典例句

7 toxic   

adj.有毒的，因中毒引起的

参考例句：

• The factory had accidentally released a quantity of toxic waste into the sea.这家工厂意外泄漏大量有毒废物到海中。
• There is a risk that toxic chemicals might be blasted into the atmosphere.爆炸后有毒化学物质可能会进入大气层。

8 antidote   

n.解毒药，解毒剂

参考例句：

• There is no known antidote for this poison.这种毒药没有解药。
• Chinese physicians used it as an antidote for snake poison.中医师用它来解蛇毒。