Three North Koreans wanted for questioning over the murder of the estranged half-brother of their country's leader were believed to have accompanied the coffin of the victim on a flight from Kuala Lumpur after Malaysia agreed to a swap deal with the reclusive state.

Photographs obtained by Reuters from Japan's Kyodo news agency show Hyon Kwang-song, the second secretary at the North Korean embassy in Kuala Lumpur, and Kim Uk-il, a staff member of North Korea’s state airline Air Koryo, were on a flight from Kuala Lumpur to Beijing yesterday evening.

The pictures match those released by the Malaysian police earlier.

The coffin carrying the body of Kim Jong-nam was also believed to have been on the same flight, though this has not been confirmed by authorities.

Malaysian media reported that the third North Korean, Ri Ji-u, also known as James, who had been hiding with them at the North Korean embassy in Kuala Lumpur was also allowed to go home.

The three men and the coffin are expected to be transferred to a flight to Pyongyang.

Malaysian authorities released the body Kim Jong-nam to North Korea yesterday, in a deal that secured the release of nine Malaysian citizens held in Pyongyang after a drawn-out diplomatic spat.

Meanwhile Prime Minister Najib Abdul Razak confirmed that the two North Korean suspects were allowed to leave the country, according to Bernama.

He said the two men, 44-year-old second secretary of the North Korean embassy in Malaysia Hyon Kwang-song and 37-year-old North Korean airline staff Kim Uk-il, were allowed to leave after being questioned by police.

He said the questioning was part of an agreement struck with North Korea.

- Reuters