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A video has emerged in which a man claims to be the son of Kim Jong-nam, the recently assassinated half brother of North Korean leader Kim Jong-un, triggering speculation over his possible relocation out of Asia and current whereabouts.
“My name is Kim Han-sol, from North Korea, part of the Kim family,” the man says in the clip. “My father was killed a few days ago. I’m currently with my mother and my sister.”
He went on to say he was “very grateful to” an organization or person before the audio track of the video is cut off. “We hope this gets better soon,” he added.
The 40-second clip was posted on the YouTube page of an unidentified group called Cheollima Civil Defense on Tuesday. In it, he shows his passport as proof of his identity, but his information has been blacked out.
In the wake of Kim Jong-nam’s death, concerns have been rising that his bereaved family may also become targets. His son Han-sol called his uncle a “dictator” during a rare interview with a Finnish broadcaster in 2012.
It was rumored that Han-sol may visit Kuala Lumpur in line with Malaysian authorities’ request for the identification of his father by a family member, though he never turned up.
Kim, 22, went to the Sciences Po University in Le Havre, France, and sought to continue his studies at Oxford University in the UK, but reportedly gave up on the plan due to security concerns.
Cheollima Civil Defense said it has assisted Kim Jong-nam’s family with their relocation, expressing gratitude for the “emergency humanitarian assistance” from China, the US, the Netherlands and a fourth government it refrained from revealing.
“(We) responded last month to an emergency request by survivors of the family of Kim Jong-nam for extraction and protection. The three family members were met quickly and relocated to safety,” the group said in a statement on its website.
“We have in the past addressed other urgent needs for protection. This will be the first and last statement on this particular matter, and the present whereabouts of this family will not be addressed.”
The group says it helps North Koreans seeking to escape their homeland or share information leave for “any place they want safely without any costs.”
The statement sparked speculation that Han-sol and his mother Lee Hye-kyong and sister Sol-hee might have moved to the Netherlands from Macau, where they are believed to have lived under China’s protection.
Cheollima mentioned by name Amsterdam’s Ambassador to Korea A.J.A. Embrechts, expressing appreciation for his “timely and strong response to our sudden request for assistance.”
“We were surprised by the video as well. ... We have no information but my sensible guess is that (Kim) may be in the Netherlands by now,” an official at Seoul’s Foreign Ministry told The Korea Herald, requesting anonymity due to the sensitivity of the matter.
The Dutch Embassy in Seoul could not be reached for comment but was said to be considering issuing a statement.
South Korea’s National Intelligence Service confirmed the man in the video was Kim Han-sol and the clip was apparently uploaded by himself.
The Ministry of Unification said it could not confirm the identity of either the man or the organization, refusing to comment on Kim’s whereabouts due to intelligence matters.
“I just saw it, so I don’t have any information about it. But most would assume he looks like (Kim Han-sol), though this should also be further verified,” ministry spokesperson Jeong Joon-hee said at a regular news briefing Wednesday.
By Shin Hyon-hee (heeshin@heraldcorp.com)
