Shah Alam, Malaysia (CNN) A Vietnamese woman accused of using a deadly nerve agent to assassinate the half-brother of North Korean leader Kim Jong Un has accepted a lesser charge of "causing hurt by a dangerous weapon."

On Monday, Malaysian prosecutors offered to reduce the murder charge against Doan Thi Huong, who is the only suspect still behind bars, following the release of her co-accused last month.

Huong, 30, smiled in court after hearing that prosecutors would offer to drop the murder charge and replace it with the lesser charge.

The judge sentenced Huong to three years and four months to be served starting from her date of arrest in February 2017. But Huong's lawyer said that he expected she could be released as early as May this year, as sentences in Malaysia are automatically reduced by 30%.

Huong was one of two women charged over the February 2017 murder of Kim Jong Nam, an offense punishable by hanging.

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