A North Korean envoy has claimed it was a heart attack, not a lethal nerve agent, that killed Kim Jong Un's brother, the AP reports.
An autopsy carried out by Malaysian authorities showed that the highly toxic VX nerve agent was responsible for Kim Jong Nam's death.
But Ri Tong Il, the former North Korean deputy ambassador to the United Nations, rejected the findings.
He said on Thursday that Kim Jong Nam was taking medication for heart disease, diabetes, and high blood pressure, and that a heart attack was probably the cause of death.
Kim Jong Nam was killed on February 13, after being assaulted at the Kuala Lumpur airport by two women who allegedly wiped the chemical VX on his face. Both women now claim they were duped into believing they were on a prank tv show and that they did not intend to kill him.
The North Korean envoy also referred to the victim as Kim Chol, the name on the victim's diplomatic passport, rather than Kim Jong Nam, although authorities in Malaysia have identified him as the estranged brother of North Korea's leader.
South Korean and US officials have said they believe North Korean agents assassinated Kim Jong Nam who was a North Korea exile living in Macau under Beijing's protection.
Ri Tong Il's comments come as a high-level defector of the North Korea regime said he's certain leader Kim Jong Un was behind Kim Jong Nam's death. "North Korea is a society ruled in terror. For a big decision like killing Kim Jong Nam, no one could make a decision like that except Kim Jong Un,"Thae Yong Ho said.
Join the conversation about this story »
NOW WATCH: A Navy SEAL explains what to do if you're attacked by a dog