말레이, 김정남 살해 베트남 여성에 상해죄 적용…5월초 석방<br /><br />A Vietnamese woman accused of participating in the killing of North Korean leader Kim Jong-un's half-brother Kim Jong-nam... will soon be released... with the charge of murder downgraded to assault.<br />Kim Mok-yeon has the latest. <br />Prosecutors in Malaysia have decided to drop the charge of murder against Vietnamese national Doan Thi Huong , who had been detained for the past two years for taking part in the killing of North Korean leader Kim Jong-un's half-brother Kim Jong-nam.<br />Media reports said Monday that the charge was downgraded from murder to assault, and that Huong was sentenced to 3 years and 4 months behind bars, including time already served.<br />The judge reportedly said the decision was aimed at finding a balance between the interests of the public and the interests of the accused.<br />Huong's lawyer said that under Malaysian law, she could be freed as early as the first week of May, due to a one-third term reduction for good behavior.<br />"Now as far as Doan is concerned, we are happy because ultimately, she can go home within a month and AG has reconsidered our representation prepared to offer an alternative charge and we are happy with that."<br />The sentence came three weeks after Huong's Indonesian co-defendant Siti Aisyah ( ) was set free reportedly with help from the Indonesian government.<br />On February 13th, 2017, the two women smeared a lethal nerve agent on Kim's face, which eventually killed him on his way to the hospital.<br /> The two have been pleading their innocence, claiming that they were tricked by four men into believing that they were taking part in a reality TV prank.<br /> Those four men, identified as North Koreans... fled Malaysia on the day of the incident. Interpol issued a red alert but they are still at large.<br />It's understood that the North had ordered the assassination of Kim Jong-nam, who was seen as a threat to Kim Jong-un's power,... but Pyeongyang has denied it.<br />Kim Mok-yeon, Arirang News.
