Story By: Lee Bullen, Sub Editor: Joseph Golder, Agency: Asia Wire Report

The Vietnamese woman imprisoned for her involvement in the airport assassination of North Korean leader Kim Jong-un’s older half-brother – and once heir apparent – will be released next week.

Picture Credits: AsiaWire

Kim Jong-nam was the eldest son of North Korea’s second leader, Kim Jong-il, and was considered the heir apparent until he reportedly disgraced the family in 2001 when he tried to visit Tokyo Disneyland with a false passport.

Current leader Kim Jong-un, who took office at the end of 2011, is widely believed to have been behind his half-brother’s death.

On 13th February 2017, Jong-nam died after being brazenly smeared in the face with the deadly VX nerve agent at Kuala Lumpur International Airport in Malaysia.

Four North Korean suspects left the airport shortly after the attack and travelled back to capital Pyongyang. They still remain at large.

Meanwhile, two women, Indonesian national Siti Aisyah and Vietnamese citizen Doan Thi Huong, were charged with the disgraced North Korean’s murder.

At the time, they said that they thought they were part of a TV prank.

Last month, Aisyah was freed after the charge against her was dropped.

Malaysian authorities have now confirmed that Thi Huong will be released from Kajang Women’s Prison near capital Kuala Lumpur at 9am on 3rd May.

She is expected to board a flight to her home country the same day.

The 30-year-old escaped the death sentence when she pleaded guilty to the alternative charge of voluntarily causing hurt by dangerous weapons or means.

She was sentenced to three years and four months in prison and is reportedly entitled to a one-third remission on the sentence, which started on the date of her arrest.