Kim Han-sol: harbinger of NK change?

When it comes to Kim Han-sol, the grandson of North Korean leader Kim Jong-il who recently went viral on the Internet, most agree at least by appearances, that the child seems normal. The question, however, looms: Does this signal any inkling of hope for the rigid regime’s future?

Kim Han-sol

By Kim Young-jin

When it comes to Kim Han-sol, the grandson of North Korean leader Kim Jong-il who recently went viral on the Internet, most agree ― at least by appearances ― that the child seems normal. The question, however, looms: Does this signal any inkling of hope for the rigid regime’s future?

South Korean media tracked down Kim’s apparent Facebook account last week after reports he had enrolled at an international school in Bosnia, sparking huge interest in his embrace of Western culture.

Decked out in rimmed glasses, an earring and bleached hair, the uploaded photos of Kim provide a stunning contrast to images of massive military parades and impoverished masses typically associated with the North.

If the reports are confirmed, Han-sol, who previously lived in Macau with his father, Kim Jong-nam, will soon head to the United World Colleges (UWC) in Mostar, a network of schools that often accepts students from war-torn areas and North Korea. The father reportedly fell out of favor with the regime for his wayward lifestyle.

In eyebrow-raising online remarks attributed to him by the media, Kim said he preferred democracy over communism and wished to ease the hunger pangs of his countrymen. But he also expressed pride, sharply defending his country against any derision. Access to the pages was quickly restricted.

Analysts welcomed Han-sol’s idealism, though acknowledging the influence ― if any ― he could have in the regime remained a mystery. Some warned the younger Kims face a Catch-22 as their fates are inextricably linked with that of the struggling Stalinist state.

“He sounds like a nice lad, if typically a bit mixed up. It would do him good (to attend UWC), and that in turn would do North Korea good,” Aidan Foster-Carter, a noted expert at Leeds University, said in an email, citing the importance of North Korean exposure to the outside.

“We may not see the results right away, but the seeds of doubt and long-run change get planted.”

He added: “And crucially, his dad is at least a semi-exile. So one could say that by taking him, UWC is supporting reform and dissidence in North Korea, or as close as we have to that.”

Stephen Codrington, the former principal of a UWC branch in Hong Kong who interviewed Han-sol in April gave a glowing assessment of his potential to affect change. The student’s application was eventually scuttled by immigration problems.

“His commitment to wanting to understand others from different backgrounds and his personal commitment to working actively for peace should be an inspiration for many others,” Codrington wrote in a blog.

‘The potential for education to bring about transformative change of historic dimensions is enormous everywhere in the world _ but perhaps nowhere more so than on the Korean peninsula.”

It is not the first time for younger members of the Kim clan to mingle internationally. The offspring of the “Dear Leader” have received their education mostly in Europe, including Kim Jong-un, his Swiss-educated heir apparent.

Kim Jong-chol, the North Korean leader's second son, was recently seen at an Eric Clapton concert in Singapore and Jong-un is said to be a huge basketball fan.

But Andrei Lankov, a North Korea watcher at Kookmin University, said that in the Kim family, idealism wasn’t a reliable indicator for positive reform, noting that country founder Kim Il-sung was once an idealistic freedom fighter. He said its history of harsh dictatorship locked the younger generation between a rock and a hard place.

“It is not impossible that the new generation of leaders might try some reform, but if this happens the situation in North Korea is likely to get out of control very quickly, and I am not sure whether the reformers themselves can manage to survive the revolution,” he said.

“Alternatively, the young idealists might come to the conclusion that they can continue with their current lavish and privileged lifestyle only if the system remains unchanged. In such a case, they are likely to discard their youthful idealism and just follow the policies of the fathers and grandfathers.”

It also remains a long shot for Han-sol’s online adventures to inspire North Korean citizens, as only a small handful of top officials are allowed access to the Internet. While the North has allowed for a domestic mobile phone network and intranet services, the people remain in the dark about most international, and even many internal, developments.

And while the regime is likely displeased with Han-sol’s comments on democracy, it does have experience of minimizing the effects of off-the-cuff remarks from within: Kim Jong-nam, who has lived in Macau after being passed over as successor, occasionally comments on the regime to international media.