Han-sol: My father was killed

In the 40-second video, the man claiming to be Han-sol said his father was killed “a few days ago” and that he is currently with his mother and sister.

The man identifies himself as Han-sol from North Korea and part of the Kim family, and displays his passport as proof.

The passport appears to be a North Korean passport, but the details are blacked out in the video.

The video titled KHS Video was uploaded on YouTube on Tuesday under the username Cheollima Civil Defense, a group claiming to offer safe haven to North Koreans.

Although the video was uploaded recently, it is believed the recording took place much earlier.

“We are very grateful to ...,” he says before the audio is cut off.

In the news: South Koreans watching video footage of a man who claims that he is Kim Han-sol, the son of assassinated Kim Jong-nam. — AFP
He then ends the video by saying, “We hope this gets better soon.”

Meanwhile, according to a statement published on Cheollima Civil Defense’s website, the group had responded to an “emergency re­­quest” by the survivors of Jong-nam’s family last month for “extraction and protection.”

“The three family members were met quickly and relocated to safety,” said the statement.

The group said it had received such requests for protection and relocation several times in the past. It thanked several countries that it said helped to provide protection for the family.

“We would like to express our gratitude to the government of the Netherlands, the Chinese government, the United States government and an anonymous government for supporting the evacuation of a family in an emergency,” it said.

When contacted, Inspector-Gene­­ral of Police Tan Sri Khalid Abu Bakar said police would look into the video, which has been aired on TV in Seoul and on Al-Jazeera TV, among others.

“We will definitely look into it. So far, it cannot be confirmed that it was him (Han-sol),” Khalid said.

Asked on the process to get DNA samples from Jong-nam’s family members to positively identify the body, Khalid said Bukit Aman has its own way of acquiring the samples.

Diplomatic ties between Malaysia and North Korea have spiralled downwards since the murder of Jong-nam at KLIA2 on Feb 13.

North Korea has been demanding the body of Jong-nam, which Pyongyang still refers to only as “Kim Chol,” the name he has been known to travel under.

Malaysian authorities have so far declined this demand, saying only the next-of-kin can claim the body, and they would need a DNA sample to finally put the matter of the body’s identity to rest.