( 2 nd LD ) Pyongyang gov ' t behind murder of Kim Jong - nam : spy agency ( ATTN : UPDATES with more details throughout ) SEOUL , Feb . 27 ( Yonhap ) -- South Korea ' s spy agency said Monday that the North Korean government was behind the assassination of Kim Jong - nam , adding that those involved worked for the country ' s foreign ministry and spy body . During a closed door meeting with lawmakers , the National Intelligence Service ( NIS ) said four of the eight suspects behind the murder worked for Pyongyang ' s Ministry of State Security , with two others being from the foreign ministry . North Korean leader Kim Jong - un ' s half brother Kim Jong - nam was killed in Malaysia earlier this month . The eldest son of late former leader Kim Jong - il died on Feb . 13 in Kuala Lumpur after apparently being poisoned with VX nerve agent at a busy airport . The spy agency also provided lawmakers with various updates on developments taking place in Pyongyang . The NIS said North Korea is prepared to conduct nuclear tests at anytime , claiming such facilities are well managed even during the winter season . It said the No . 2 tunnel at the North ' s nuclear test site in Punggye - ri has been maintained throughout the winter , and that the No . 3 tunnel can be used to conduct a nuke test if the country ' s leadership gives the order . North Korea is presumed to have produced 10 kg of plutonium at its Yongbyon nuclear reactor , and its reprocessing is expected to improve by the end of this year , it added . The spy agency also said the latest import ban of coal from China will leave 300 , 000 North Koreans unemployed , making its gross - domestic production contract by 2 . 5 percentage points . Specifically , the agency said the China ' s decision will reduce North Korea ' s gain of foreign currency by 23 percent , or US $ 78 million . The NIS also said Kim Won - hong , the former head of Pyongyang ' s spy agency , has been placed under confinement while around five other senior officials are presumed to have been recently executed by the regime . colin @ yna . co . kr ( END )