The mysterious Mr. Ri returns, urbane survivor of North Korea purge

North Korea's Foreign Minister Ri Su Yong (L) is seen before a talk with Vietnam's Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Pham Binh Minh (not pictured) at the Government Guest House in Hanoi August 6, 2014. REUTERS/Hoang Dinh Nam/Pool

SEOUL/GENEVA (Reuters) - The young Kim Jong Un may be the public face of isolated North Korea, but the man who represents Pyongyang on the international stage is an urbane 75-year-old who lived under an assumed name for decades and survived a vicious purge over a year ago.

Now North Korea's foreign minister and one of the most powerful men in the regime, Ri Su Yong was rumoured to have been executed along with his mentor Jang Song Thaek, Kim's uncle, and several of his aides.