Kim Jong Un's half-brother assassinated by 2 women with 'poisoned needles' after going into hiding

 Kim Jong-nam photographed in Macau in 2010.
(Image credit: JoongAng Sunday/AFP/Getty Images)

The half-brother of North Korean leader Kim Jong Un was assassinated in Malaysia by two women wielding "poisoned needles," South Korean media reported Tuesday. The assassins are believed to be North Korean agents and they remain at large after escaping in a taxi, The Independent reports.

Kim Jong Un's half-brother, Kim Jong Nam, shares the same father as the North Korean leader: former North Korean leader Kim Jong Il. Unlike Kim Jong Un, though, Kim Jong Nam's mother was a South Korean-born actress, with whom Kim Jong Il had a non-marital relationship.

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Jeva Lange

Jeva Lange was the executive editor at TheWeek.com. She formerly served as The Week's deputy editor and culture critic. She is also a contributor to Screen Slate, and her writing has appeared in The New York Daily News, The Awl, Vice, and Gothamist, among other publications. Jeva lives in New York City. Follow her on Twitter.