GENEVA, March 10 (Yonhap) -- North Korea's ambassador to Geneva, known as a caretaker of leader Kim Jong-il's secret funds, is expected to leave office after 30 years in Switzerland, a diplomatic source said Wednesday.
Ambassador Ri Chol has been considered one of Kim's closest aides, trustworthy enough for the reclusive leader to send all of his three known sons to Swiss schools. Ri was also reported to have played a key role in helping top North Korean officials get medical treatment from French doctors.
"It appears almost certain that Ambassador Ri is leaving," a diplomatic source in Bern said on condition of anonymity. without elaborating where he obtained the information. "But the timing is unclear whether it will be in weeks or take a couple of more months."
Talk of Ri's departure is widespread in the diplomatic community in Switzerland, the source said.
"I think that the high attention he's drawing here is because Ambassador Ri has stayed in Switzerland for so long and because he drew media attention from time to time with reports that he's taking care of Chairman Kim Jong-il's slush funds," the source said, referring to the North Korean leader's official title, chairman of the country's powerful National Defense Commission.
Ri, 75, has been working in Switzerland since 1980 when he was appointed minister at North Korea's mission to Geneva before rising to ambassador in 1987. Since 1998, he has doubled as the North's ambassador to Switzerland.
It is unclear why Ri will be replaced. Some say it is because of his advanced age and others say the move might be related to leader Kim's attempt to hand power over to one of his sons.
It is not yet known yet who will succeed Kim, but the intelligence community believes the youngest of the three sons, Jong-un, is being groomed to take over.
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