North Korea breaks silence on Kim Jong Nam death, says probe 'full of holes'

North Korea’s state-run news agency slammed Malaysia on Thursday, saying its investigation into the assassination of the estranged half-brother of North Korean leader Kim Jong Un is “full of holes and contradictions.”

It was the North’s first reference to the death of Kim Jong Nam following an apparent poisoning at the Kuala Lumpur airport on Feb. 13. The Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) did not name Kim Jong Nam in the report, but referred to a citizen of the Democratic People’s Republic of North Korea (DPRK).

The KCNA reported that Malaysia initially said the man died after suffering a heart attack but South Korea “kicked up a fuss” and plotted to lay the blame on Pyongyang.

“The biggest responsibility for his death rests with the government of Malaysia as the citizen of the DPRK died in its land,” KCNA said.

North Korean diplomat a suspect in Kim Jong Nam assassination

Who was Kim Jong Nam, half-brother of N. Korean dictator Kim Jong Un?

Malaysian Chinese-language newspapers China Press and Sin Chew Daily reported that Malaysian police officers will travel to Macao, a Chinese gambling mecca where Kim Jong Nam lived in exile after falling out of favor with his father.

They will gather Kim Jong Nam’s DNA samples and work with Interpol on the two-day trip which starts Thursday, according to the reports.

Alex Hwang, the owner of Koryo-Won, a Korean restaurant in Kuala Lumpur, said Kim Jong Nam was a regular customer, according to the AP. He said Kim never gave his name but Hwang recognized him and collected his dishes and sent them to the South Korean Embassy for fingerprint and DNA testing that confirmed his identity.

Hwang said Kim, who visited the restaurant with his wife and was often accompanied by two female bodyguards, was a “very humble, very nice guy,” the AP reported.

Malaysian police arrested three people over the death and are seeking several others, including Hyon Kwang Song, 44, a North Korean diplomat and Kim Uk Il, 37, who is believed to be an employee of Air Koryo, North Korea’s state-owned airline.

Malaysian police said someone attempted to break into the morgue where the body is being held, leading to a ramp-up in security.