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PETALING JAYA: A video of a man claiming to be the son of Kim Jong-nam, the murdered half-brother of North Korean leader Kim Jong-un, has surfaced.
The video titled KHS Video was uploaded to 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.
In the 40-second video, the man claiming to be Jong-nam’s son, Kim Han-sol, says that 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.
“We are very grateful to ...,” he says before the audio is cut off.
He then ends the video by saying, “We hope this gets better soon.”
When contacted, Inspector-General of Police Tan Sri Khalid Abu Bakar said police would look into the video.
“We will definitely look into it. So far, it cannot be confirmed that it was him (Han-sol),” he 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.
“However, I cannot elaborate as it might jeopardise investigation,” he said.
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 that it had received such requests for protection and relocation several times in the past.
“We do not disclose more about the current situation of the Kim Jong-nam family or the escape process.
“This will be the first and last statement on this particular matter, and the present whereabouts of this family will not be addressed,” it said.
The group also 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.
Cheollima Civil Defense said that some governments have refused its “humanitarian evacuation requests.”
However, the group expressed its gratitude to the many who are “standing on the right side of history.”
Diplomatic ties between Malaysia and North Korea have eroded since the murder of Jong-nam at Kuala Lumpur International Airport 2 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 that 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.
North Korea has criticised Malaysia’s handling of the case and on Tuesday announced its decision to temporarily ban Malaysians in North Korea from leaving the country.
A few hours after Pyongyang’s announcement, Prime Minster Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak announced that all North Koreans in Malaysia would not be allowed to leave.
On March 1, Vietnamese Doan Thi Huong and Indonesian Siti Aisyah were charged with the murder, under Section 302 of the Penal Code that carries the mandatory death penalty upon conviction.
Neither recorded a plea, and April 13 has been fixed for mention.Read more at http://www.thestar.com.my/news/nation/2017/03/08/video-of-man-claiming-to-be-son/#AFTk3uh05iQpdrqJ.99
