KUALA LUMPUR: Ri Jong Chol, the North Korean arrested in connection with the assassination of Kim Jong-nam, was a “friendly family man” who always had a warm smile.
Neighbours of Ri’s at the Dynasty Garden Condominium in Kuchai Entrepreneurs Park said they were shocked when they learned that he was linked to the murder of Jong-nam, the outcast half-brother of North Korean supreme leader Kim Jong-un.
A neighbour said he was stunned to learn that the 47-year-old was one of four alleged North Korean agents who had masterminded the murder.
He said Ri always greeted him whenever they bumped into each other.
“He is a friendly guy. He moved into this place with his wife and daughter, who is in her twenties, a year and a half ago.
“He would always have lunch at a cafe in the condominium with his family on weekdays. None of us suspected anything amiss with the family,” he said.
The neighbour said the family had never caused problems and seldom had guests at their unit.
He said he knew the family came from Korea, but was not sure whether they were from the North or South.
At 11pm on Friday, he heard a commotion coming from Ri’s unit. When he opened the front door, at least a dozen men were standing outside the doorway to Ri’s unit.
From what he heard, he surmised that these were plainclothes policemen.
“These men broke the door down as Ri didn’t want to open the door. They barged in and I heard Ri arguing with them. I didn’t know why the policemen were here. I thought maybe Ri and his family had stayed in the country illegally.
“Police told me to stay in the house and close the door. They also told other residents on the fourth floor (where he and Ri stay) to do the same.”.
He said police stayed in Ri’s unit for an hour.
“And then, all was quiet. I didn’t know what happened until I saw the news today (yesterday).”
Another neighbour said he had just returned home when he passed by Ri’s unit, packed with policemen.
In fact, he said, there were even policemen in the corridor outside the unit.
“His door was left opened. The police were screaming at him in the living room. He looked nervous. His wife was there beside him and his daughter was crying outside the house.
“The daughter was talking to someone on the phone.
”The wife and daughter seemed clueless as to what was transpiring,” he said, adding that he quickly got into his unit as he was afraid.
A resident, who only wanted to be known as Ivan, 36, said he saw at least eight police cars, all with tinted windows, in the compound of the condominium, as well as outside.