While Malaysian authorities are still waiting for the next-of-kin of Kim Jong-nam to submit a DNA sample, a YouTube video has emerged in which a man claims to be his son, Kim Han-sol.
The 40-second clip titled KHS Video was uploaded on the YouTube page of a group called Cheollima Civil Defense yesterday.
"My name is Kim Han-sol, from North Korea, part of the Kim family," the man said in the video.
"My father has been killed a few days ago. I'm currently with my mother and my sister. We are very grateful to ...," he said. The subsequent names mentioned were muted from the video.
"We hope this gets better soon," he said, in ending the video.
The clip also briefly showed his passport but all his particulars were blacked out.
Do Hee Youn, an activist with the Citizens Coalition for Human Rights of Abductees and North Korean Refugees, confirmed that the man in the video is Han-sol, Channel News Asia reported.
The man in the video appears to match videos of earlier interviews with Han-sol published by Al-Jazeera and Finnish public broadcaster YLE.
In a statement published on its website, Cheollima Civil Defense said it has protected Jong-nam's family since last month.
Jong-nam was killed at KLIA2 on Feb 13, authorities said.
"Cheollima Civil Defense 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. 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," it said.
A cheollima in Korean folklore is a mythical winged horse symbolising nobility, speed, elegance and strength.
Jong-nam's grandfather Kim Il-sung drove the Cheollima Movement, a programme to modernise North Korea akin to China's Great Leap Forward.
The Cheollima Civil Defense said it is protecting Jong-nam's family with assistance from the governments of The Netherlands, China, the United States and "a fourth government to remain unnamed".
It also thanked Dutch ambassador to South Korea, AJA Embrechts, for timely assistance in protecting Jong-nam's family.
"Ambassador Embrechts is a credit to the people of the Netherlands and their long and principled stance for human rights and humanitarian norms," it said.
It said several nations refused to assist the family.- Mkini
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