"Kim Jeong-nam Murder Suspect Ri Jeong-cheol Returned to North Korea, Then Active in China"

[Asia Economy Reporter Jeong Hyunjin] Ri Jeongcheol, a North Korean national who was one of the suspects in the assassination of Kim Jong-nam, the half-brother of North Korean State Affairs Commission Chairman Kim Jong-un, returned to North Korea and then operated in China, Mainichi Shimbun reported on the 22nd.

According to the report, a source familiar with North Korean intelligence revealed that shortly after Ri Jeongcheol returned to North Korea, he went to China with his wife and resumed his activities. The source said, "In the context of the escalating US-China confrontation, the US is closely watching how China responds to this issue."

Earlier, on the 11th (local time), the US Department of Justice announced the indictment of Ri Jeongcheol, his daughter Ri Yugyeong, and Malaysian national Gan Chirim on charges including violations of North Korea sanctions, financial fraud, and money laundering conspiracy. However, since the whereabouts of Ri Jeongcheol and others have not been secured, it is uncertain whether they will be brought to trial.

Ri Jeongcheol lived in a luxury apartment in Kuala Lumpur, the capital of Malaysia, and during a search conducted after the Kim Jong-nam assassination incident, cash amounting to $38,000 (approximately 44 million KRW) was found. Local police seized PCs, tablets, and mobile phones, which were returned when Ri Jeongcheol left for North Korea, but analysis of copied materials continued afterward, another source said.

Analysis revealed that Ri Jeongcheol showed interest in businesses such as Malaysian palm oil. Numerous photos and documents of Japanese-made trailers, crane vehicles, and excavators were also confirmed, and Mainichi analyzed that these pieces of equipment might have already been transported to North Korea via a third country.

According to the Malaysian police investigation, Ri Jeongcheol stayed in Malaysia under the pretext of working for a cancer treatment company that had exchanges with North Korea, but there was no evidence of actual work, and he usually used a diplomatic vehicle from the North Korean embassy, Mainichi reported.

Additionally, he stayed in Malaysia with his wife, daughter, and son, and his daughter also attended a Malaysian university. Mainichi evaluated this as very unusual considering North Korean authorities’ practice of leaving family members in North Korea to prevent defection when dispatching personnel overseas.

The newspaper added that experts analyze Ri Jeongcheol as one of the key figures in North Korea’s fundraising operations.