Kim Jong-un's co-killer may have been Pop Idol contestant

A woman arrested over suspicions she was involved in the alleged assassination of North Korean leader Kim Jong-un's half-brother may have been a contestant on television talent show Pop Idol in Vietnam last year.

Malaysian toxicology reports indicate Kim Jong-nam was killed when "VX nerve agent" - considered a weapon of mass destruction by the United Nations - was wiped on his face.

Authorities in the country believe Doan Thi Huong, 28, is one of two women responsible for administering the highly toxic nerve agent, along with an Indonesian woman.

Huong bears a striking resemblance to a contestant who auditioning for Vietnam Idol on June 3, 2016.

She was eliminated after the first round.

Facial recognition tools match Huong to a Facebook profile under the name 'Ruby Ruby,' according to Reuters.

Huong posted a photograph of herself wearing a shirt featuring the acronym "LOL", similar to one of the suspects caught fleeing the scene of Jong-nam's death on CCTV cameras.

Malaysian police described Huong as an "entertainment outlet employee," but would not provide further information.