Kim Han Sol, the son of the recently assassinated Kim Jong Nam, made his first appearance in a video posted on YouTube by a group called Cheollima Civil Defense.
In the 40-second video, Han Sol introduces himself and holds his passport to the camera to confirm his identity. For security reasons, the details of the passport were censored. Parts of Han Sol’s message were also blacked out but he goes on to express his gratitude and hope that things will get better.
“My father has been killed a few days ago. I’m currently with my mother and my sister and we’re very grateful to… and we hope this gets better soon.”
– Kim Han Sol
NBC News was able to get a statement from a South Korean government official who confirmed that the video is real.
“National Intelligence Service confirmed that the person on the YouTube is Kim Han Sol.”
Not much is known about the organization that posted the video other than that they claim they help North Koreans who wish to defect. Kim Han Sol’s family has been in exile since 2001 in Malaysia. Cheollima Civil Defense also stated that they had responded to an emergency request by the family, last month, for increased protection.
In a statement released with the video, the organization outlined the governments of the Netherlands, China, the United States and an unnamed country as countries that helped Kim Jong Nam’s family out.
This is not the first time Han Sol has appeared on video, as he appeared in an interview with former UN Under-Secretary General, Elisabeth Rehn. He spoke about growing up in North Korea and his hopes for the country.
“I’ve always dreamed that one day I would go back and make things better and make it easier for the people there. I would like to engage in more humanitarian projects, work to contribute to building world peace, especially back home because that is a really important part of me.”
– Kim Han Sol
Han Sol also revealed that he had never met his grandfather, Kim Jong Il, or his uncle, Kim Jong Un. His father’s body remains unclaimed since his assassination and North Korea refuses to acknowledge that they had anything to do with the death.
Check out the video with Kim Han Sol’s message:
Share This Post
