Group helping slain Kim Jong-nam's son to make important announcement this week

A man claiming to be Kim Han-sol, son of assassinated North Korean exile Kim Jong-nam, speaks about his whereabouts in a clip uploaded to YouTube on March 7, 2017. Screengrab of Cheollima Civil Defense's Youtube channel

By Park Ji-won

A civic organization known to be protecting a man claiming to be Kim Han-sol, son of assassinated North Korean exile Kim Jong-nam, said Monday it will make an important announcement this week.

“Some comrades from a Western country asked our organization for help. It was a high-risk situation, but we were able to manage it. We will have an important announcement this week. Please contact us when you need help,” Cheollima Civil Defense said online Monday.

It didn't give details about the announcement but said in another post titled “Promise,” “People who keep promises for us need not worry.”

The group became famous for uploading Kim Han-sol's announcement of his escape from the regime on YouTube right after his father was killed in Malaysia in 2017 allegedly by North Korea-related assassins. The organization is also known to help North Korean defectors move to other countries such as the United Kingdom.

Speculation circulated that the group will reveal something about Kim Han-sol or North Korean defectors such as former North Korean diplomat Jo Song-gil, who disappeared with his wife in Italy in November but failed to take their daughter with them.

“My name is Kim Han-sol from North Korea, part of the Kim family. My father has been killed a few days ago,” the man says in English in the 40-second YouTube clip posted March 7, 2017. “I'm currently with my mother and my sister. We hope this gets better soon.”

He didn't talk about his family's whereabouts or how they were being protected.