Kim Jong Nam’s ‘son’ claims he’s being protected by shadowy defence group amid fears Kim Jong Un will murder him next
The appearance of the man, claiming to be Kim Han Sol, marks the first time Kim Jong Nam's family has spoken since his killing
A MAN claiming to be the son of the slain half brother of North Korea's leader says he is in hiding with his mother and sister following his father's murder.
The claims were made in a video posted online by a shadowy group named after a mythical horse in Korean folklore that claims to have rescued and protected the family since the killing.
If true, it would also be the first time a member of Kim Jong Nam's family has spoken since his assassination a month ago.
An official at South Korea's National Intelligence Service said the man in the video is Kim Han Sol, the 21-year-old son of Kim Jong Nam.
He was was killed at Kuala Lumpur International Airport on February 13 by assassins who Malaysian police say used a super-toxic nerve agent that killed him within 20 minutes.
During the 40-second video posted by the so-called Cheollima Civil Defense, the man says his father was killed a few days ago.
He says: "My name is Kim Han-Sol, from North Korea, part of the Kim family. Here's my passport.
"My father has been killed a few days ago. I'm currently with my mother and my sister."
He then says: "We are very grateful to..." before his mouth and the audio is blacked out. He later adds: "We hope this gets better soon."
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Kim Han Sol is the son of Kim Jong Nam's second wife, who had been living in the Chinese territory of Macau with Kim under Beijing's protection after the family went into exile several years ago.
The statement released on the website of Cheollima Civil Defense said the organisation responded last month to an emergency request by Kim Jong Nam's family members 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."
Cheollima is the name given to a mythical horse in Chinese and Korean folklore, which is said to be able to travel over great distances.
In the video, Kim held up a black North Korean service passport in the video and opened it.
The details were edited out, but a North Korean state stamp is visible on one page, as is a line of English text which said the passport's validity had been extended.
North Korean service passports are issued to government officials. They are black and embossed with gold text which says "PASSPORT (FOR OFFICIAL TRIP)".
Officials believe Kim Jong Nam's murder was an assassination organised by North Korean agents, and Malaysian police have identified eight North Koreans wanted for questioning in the case.
The only people charged with the murder so far are an Indonesian woman and a Vietnamese woman who police say wiped the VX nerve agent on the victim's face.
Despite evidence to the contrary, North Korea claims he died of a heart attack.
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