Acting President Hwang Kyo-ahn on Monday blamed North Korea for the murder of its leader Kim Jong-un’s estranged half brother Kim Jong-nam, criticizing the incident as an act of terrorism and urging the international community to condemn the regime.

During a National Security Council meeting, Hwang said the North is behind the death of Kim Jong-nam, who died a week ago after being attacked with poison by two women at Kuala Lumpur International Airport while waiting for his flight to Macau. 

“I think it is certain that the North Korean regime is behind the incident,” said Hwang, referring to the Malaysian police’s investigation results that showed more than five North Korean citizens were involved in the attack.

“The incident is a criminal act of terrorism against humanity and we will never tolerate this. It demonstrates the reckless and brutal nature of the North Korean regime that uses whatever means possible to stay in power,” he added.

The remark came a day after the Malaysian police announced they are searching for four more North Koreans in connection with the killing of Kim Jong-nam. The suspects have reportedly returned to Pyongyang after leaving Malaysia on the same day Kim died.

Later in the day, North Korea’s Ambassador to Malaysia Kang Chol said he could not trust the Malaysian police investigation, calling for a joint probe into the murder case, which has caused a diplomatic row between the two nations.

In a rare comment to reporters, the ambassador repeated the claim that the Malaysian government is “conspiring” with South Korea to distract from the case of President Park Geun-hye, who is suspended from power after being impeached for a bribery scandal.

“It has been seven days since the incident, but there is no clear evidence on the cause of death and at the moment we cannot trust the investigation by the Malaysian police,” Kang said.

Kang made the comment after being summoned by the Malaysian Foreign Ministry over a similar allegation he made against the probe into the murder case. On Friday, he accused the government of “colluding with hostile forces” to perform the autopsy -- despite his objection -- on the body believed to be Kim Jong-nam.

In response, the foreign ministry dismissed the ambassador’s claim as “baseless” and vowed to proceed with the investigation under Malaysian law. The autopsy result is scheduled to be announced Wednesday, according to the Malaysian police.

“The Malaysian Government has been transparent. The (North Korean) Embassy has been kept informed of developments related to the matter as well as the processes involved under Malaysian law,” the ministry said in a statement.

South Korea’s Defense Minister Han Min-koo, meanwhile, said that the murder of Kim Jong-nam, who had been critical of his younger brother’s power succession, is part of Pyongyang’s attempts to remove potential challengers to leader Kim Jong-un’s dictatorial power.

During his meeting with lawmakers Monday, the minister also noted the alleged assassination of the elder Kim would deliver a “stern warning” to North Korean defectors and dissenters living inside the Stalinist regime.

“I think it will remove alternative forces to the Kim Jong-un regime and warn the international community against any possible regime change attempts,” Defense Minister Han Min-koo was quoted as saying by Rep. Kim Young-woo of the Bareun Party, who chairs the National Assembly’s National Defense Committee.

The attendants also discussed a plan to demand the United Sates put North Korea back on a list of state sponsors of terrorism, according to lawmaker Kim. The US government took Pyongyang off the list in 2008 on progress then made on nuclear issues.

By Yeo Jun-suk (jasonyeo@heraldcorp.com)