A Vietnamese woman accused of killing Kim Jong Un’s half-brother with a nerve agent was headed home Friday after serving time behind bars for the stunt.
Doan Thi Huong’s release from a Malaysian prison caps the two-year case — which means it’s likely no one will ever be convicted in the brazen, broad-daylight assassination of Kim Jong Nam.
In a stunning move, prosecutors dropped murder charges against Huong and her co-defendant, Indonesian Siti Aisyah, who was released from custody in March.
The two women were accused of smearing deadly VX nerve agent on Kim Jong Nam’s face at Kuala Lumpur International Airport on Feb. 13, 2017.
Huong, 30, sought to be acquitted but prosecutors denied her request. She pleaded guilty last month to a reduced charge of causing injury and was sentenced to 40 months in prison from the day of her arrest, Feb. 15, 2017. She was released early for good behavior.
Four North Koreans who fled Malaysia the day Kim was killed were named as co-conspirators but are not in custody.
Malaysian officials never officially accused North Korea and have made it clear they didn’t want the case politicized.
Huong and Aisyah claimed they thought they were taking part in a harmless prank for a TV show. But early on, authorities insisted both women knew they were taking part in a high-profile murder — making their decision to not pursue murder charges even more puzzling.
Huong’s lawyer, Hisyam Teh Poh Teik, said Huong visited an immigration office and will fly back to Hanoi later Friday. At her sentencing last month, he told the court she plans to “sing and act” when she returns to Vietnam.
“She was smiling from ear to ear. She is looking forward to return home to meet her family and friends,” he told the Associated Press after meeting her at a prison Thursday.
Kim, 46, was the eldest son in the current generation of North Korea’s ruling family. He had been living abroad for years but could have been seen as a threat to Kim Jong Un’s rule.
With Post wires