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Kim Han-sol

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For the singer, see Kim Hansol (singer). For the South Korean gymnast, see Kim Han-sol (gymnast).
In this Korean name, the family name is Kim.

Kim Han-sol
김한솔
Born (1995-06-16) 16 June 1995 (age 29)
Pyongyang, North Korea
Alma materParis Institute of Political Studies
Parents
RelativesKim family
Korean name
Chosŏn'gŭl
김한솔
Revised RomanizationGim Hansol
McCune–ReischauerKim Hansol

Kim Han-sol (Korean: 김한솔, born 16 June 1995)[1][2] is the eldest son of Kim Jong-nam and a grandson of the former North Korean ruler Kim Jong Il. His father was the unofficial heir apparent until 2001, when he fell out of favor with the regime after a failed attempt to secretly visit Tokyo Disneyland in May 2001.[3]

Kim Han-sol's half-uncle, Kim Jong Un, was named the heir apparent in September 2010,[4] and succeeded Kim Jong Il upon the latter's death in December 2011.[5] Since his father's assassination in 2017, he has been under the protective custody of the United States Central Intelligence Agency and is reportedly living in the United States.[6]

Early life and education

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Kim Han-sol was born in Pyongyang on June 16, 1995 and had an isolated upbringing in Mainland China and Macau.[7] Kim Han-sol first came to public attention in 2011 when he was accepted by Li Po Chun United World College, a member of the UWC movement, to study in Hong Kong. Later, he was denied a student visa by the Hong Kong government.[8] In late 2011, due to an admissions announcement by the United World Colleges' (UWC) United World College in Mostar, Bosnia and Herzegovina campus, it was discovered by the South Korean media that one of the newly admitted students to the college was Kim Han-sol, about whom very little had been previously known.[9]

The South Korean media tracked down several online accounts maintained by Kim Han-sol.[10][11] The content of the accounts were widely spread online, providing stark contrast to his grandfather's regime. In various posted messages on YouTube, Facebook, and Twitter, he expressed guilt for his family's role in the suffering of the North Korean people. He expressed guilt about having enough to eat when his people in North Korea were starving, and he appeared to criticize his uncle – the heir apparent – Kim Jong Un.[12][13]

In October 2012, Kim Han-sol made his first ever televised interview (in English) with Finnish TV network Yle, making several comments about his desire for Korean reunification, and not disputing the interviewer Elisabeth Rehn's disparaging characterizations of Kim Han-sol's grandfather's and uncle's rule over North Korea.[1][2]

In December 2013, Kim was in his first year of study at the Le Havre campus of France's Sciences Po university. Following the execution of his grand uncle Jang Song-thaek in December 2013, he was placed under police protection.[14] He completed his studies at Sciences Po in 2016.[15]

Assassination of Kim Jong-nam

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Main article: Assassination of Kim Jong-nam

Kim Han-sol's father Kim Jong-nam was assassinated in Malaysia on 13 February 2017, by two women who attacked him at the Kuala Lumpur International Airport with VX nerve agent, a lethal chemical weapon.[16] On 7 March 2017, in a partially censored video published by the group Free Joseon, Kim Han-sol stated that he was with his mother and sister and hoping that it would "get better soon."[17][non-primary source needed] The uncensored video was later uploaded in 2019, which included Han-Sol thanking Adrian Hong and his team for his help.[18][non-primary source needed]

His father's body was flown back to North Korea on 31 March, despite his protests.[19]

In October 2017, Chinese police arrested two North Korean agents in Beijing, on suspicion of plotting to harm Kim Han-sol, according to the South Korean newspaper JoongAng Ilbo.[20][21] The two suspects were members of North Korea's Reconnaissance General Bureau, which is responsible for overseas espionage, and were part of a team of seven foiled by Chinese authorities.[22] In April 2020, Bloomberg News reported that Kim Han-sol's "whereabouts remain unknown" since the assassination.[23][24] In November 2020, it was reported that Han-sol had been taken into protective custody by the Central Intelligence Agency at some point following his father's assassination.[25][26][27] In January 2023, Chun In-bum, a former lieutenant general in the South Korean Army, told The Daily Telegraph that Han-sol "seems to be somewhere in Europe being protected and taken care of".[28] As of January 2024, he is reportedly living in the United States as a result of assistance from Free Joseon.[6]

Family tree

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See also

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References

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  1. ^ a b Kim Han-sol Interviewed by Elisabeth Rehn (1/2). Archived from the original on 27 July 2019. Retrieved 19 October 2012 – via YouTube.
  2. ^ a b Kim Han-sol Interviewed by Elisabeth Rehn (2/2). Archived from the original on 13 April 2022. Retrieved 5 September 2024 – via YouTube.
  3. ^ Kim, Hyung-kin (7 June 2010). "Kim Jong Nam, North Korean Leader's Son, Denies Plans to Defect". Huffington Post. Associated Press. Archived from the original on 3 November 2011. Retrieved 28 October 2011.
  4. ^ Kirk, Donald (8 October 2010). "Kim Jong-un Confirmed North Korean Heir Ahead of Massive Military Parade". The Christian Science Monitor. Retrieved 28 October 2011.
  5. ^ McCurry, Justin (19 December 2011). "Rwanda: Kagame's Power Struggle". The Guardian. Retrieved 19 December 2011.
  6. ^ a b "Kim Jong Un's daughter is likely heir, South Korea spy agency says". Nikkei Asia. Retrieved 17 January 2024.
  7. ^ "North Korea's Secretive 'First Family'". BBC News. 13 December 2013. Retrieved 29 August 2017.
  8. ^ "Hong Kong Snubs North Korea Leader's 'Lovely' Grandson". The Telegraph. 6 October 2011. Archived from the original on 22 October 2012. Retrieved 19 October 2012.
  9. ^ "Kim Jong-il's Grandson Goes to Int'l School in Bosnia". The Chosun Ilbo. 30 September 2011. Retrieved 22 March 2022.
  10. ^ "Kim Jong-il's Grandson Feels Sorry for Starving Compatriots". The Chosun Ilbo. 4 October 2011. Retrieved 22 March 2022.
  11. ^ "Kim Jong-il Family's Facebook Pages Revealed". The Chosun Ilbo. 3 October 2011. Retrieved 22 March 2022.
  12. ^ Niksic, Sabina (30 September 2011). "Kim Han Sol, Kim Jong Il's Grandson Enrolls in United World College". The Huffington Post. Archived from the original on 3 March 2016. Retrieved 28 October 2011.
  13. ^ Choe, Sang-hun (6 October 2011). "Web Postings Stir Interest in Teenager's Relation to North Korean Leader". The New York Times.
  14. ^ Rothwell, James (18 December 2013). "Kim Jong Un's Nephew 'Under Police Protection' at His Exclusive University in France". The Independent. Retrieved 23 March 2022.
  15. ^ Griffiths, James (8 March 2017). "Kim Jong-nam's Son Appears for First Time Since His Father's Murder". CNN. Retrieved 23 March 2022.
  16. ^ "North Korean Leader's Brother Kim Jong-nam Killed at Malaysia Airport". BBC News. 14 February 2017. Retrieved 22 March 2022.
  17. ^ KHS Video. 7 March 2017. Archived from the original on 11 April 2022 – via YouTube.
  18. ^ Full Version of KHS Video. 29 May 2019. Archived from the original on 10 July 2021 – via YouTube.
  19. ^ Norikyo, Masatomo (5 July 2017). "Kim Jong Nam's Son Did Not Want Body Handed Over to N. Korea". The Asahi Shimbun. Archived from the original on 5 July 2017. Retrieved 16 July 2020.
  20. ^ Parry, Richard Lloyd (1 November 2017). "Chinese Police Foil Plot to Assassinate Kim Jong-un's Nephew". The Times. Retrieved 1 November 2017.
  21. ^ Chae, Hye-sun 채혜선 (31 October 2017). "'암살 위협' 김한솔, 낮술 마시는 등 '이젠 내 차례' 불안 호소". JoongAng Ilbo (in Korean). Retrieved 23 March 2022.
  22. ^ "Chinese Police Foil Assassination Plot on Jong Nam's Son". FMT. 31 October 2017. Retrieved 23 March 2022.
  23. ^ Kong, Kanga; Herskovitz, Jon (21 April 2020). "If Not Kim Jong Un, Who? The Possible Heirs to North Korea's Throne". The Straits Times. Retrieved 21 April 2020.
  24. ^ Kirkpatrick, Melanie (24 June 2020). "Thousands Taken: Kidnappings by North Korea's Kim Dynasty Continue for Half a Century". Japan Forward. Retrieved 16 July 2020.
  25. ^ Kim, Suki (23 November 2020). "The Underground Movement Trying to Topple the North Korean Regime". The New Yorker. Retrieved 24 June 2021.
  26. ^ Holloway, Henry (22 November 2020). "Kim Jong-un's Rich Nephew Kim Han-Sol Goes Missing 'After Meeting with CIA'". News.com.au. Retrieved 26 November 2020.
  27. ^ 金正恩氏がもっとも恐れる若者ハンソルは米国に？ 米CIAが庇護か. KoreaWorldTimes (in Japanese). 21 March 2021. Retrieved 22 March 2021.
  28. ^ Smith, Nicola (8 January 2023). "Kim Jong-un's midlife crisis: 'He's crying after drinking a lot'". The Daily Telegraph. Archived from the original on 8 January 2023. Retrieved 8 January 2023.
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