N. Korean suspect in Jong-nam's murder is son of ex-envoy to Vietnam: Report

Handout photo released by the Royal Malaysian Police in Kuala Lumpur on Feb 19, 2017, of Ri Ji Hyon of North Korea.PHOTO: AFP.

JAKARTA/ HANOI: A North Korean suspect in the killing of Kim Jong-nam is reportedly the son of a former top North Korean envoy to Vietnam, and he allegedly lured a Vietnamese female suspect to join the plot to kill the estranged half-brother of North Korea's leader.

Ri Ji Hyon, 33, is the son of former North Korean ambassador to Hanoi, Ri Hong, and had lived in Vietnam for about 10 years, Yonhap news agency quoted sources as saying on Wednesday.