North Korea's ambassador to Malaysia, a relative of leader Kim Jong-un, has been recalled just days after the young supremo's uncle was apparently ousted in a leadership purge, according to a report.

The South's National Intelligence Service (NIS) told a parliamentary committee Tuesday that it believed Kim's uncle and political regent Jang Song-thaek had been removed and two associates executed.

Now Jang's nephew, Jang Yong-chol, the North Korean ambassador to Malaysia, is believed to have been called back to Pyongyang, according to Yonhap news agency.

AFP