"Kim Han-sol, Son of Kim Jong-nam, Taken by US CIA in the Netherlands"

After Kim Jong-nam's death, Kim Han-sol revealed that his father had been assassinated, indirectly confirming that the person who died in Malaysia was his father, Kim Jong-nam. Photo by BBC video capture

[Asia Economy Reporter Cho Hyun-ui] The process by which Kim Han-sol and other remaining family members fled to the Netherlands after the half-brother of North Korean Supreme Leader Kim Jong-un, Kim Jong-nam, was assassinated has been revealed.

The anti-North Korean group Free Joseon, which led Kim Han-sol's escape, claimed that he wanted to obtain refugee status in the Netherlands but was taken away by the U.S. Central Intelligence Agency (CIA).

Korean-American writer Suki Kim introduced this escape process of Kim Han-sol in an article titled "The Underground Movement to Overthrow the North Korean Regime," published on the 16th (local time) in the weekly magazine The New Yorker.

Writer Kim infiltrated North Korea in 2011 and worked as an English teacher at Pyongyang University of Science and Technology, experiences she wrote about in a book that became a bestseller.

Kim Jong-nam was killed on February 13, 2017, at Kuala Lumpur International Airport in Malaysia by a nerve agent attack, and about three weeks later, on March 8 of the same year, Kim Han-sol announced via YouTube that he had safely escaped.

The anti-North Korean group "Cheollima Civil Defense" (now Free Joseon), which posted Kim Han-sol's video at the time, expressed gratitude for the help of four governments: the Netherlands, the United States, China, and an "unnamed government."

According to the New Yorker article written by writer Kim after interviewing Free Joseon members, Kim Han-sol called Adrian Hong, the leader of Free Joseon, immediately after his father Kim Jong-nam was assassinated.

Kim Han-sol informed Hong that the Macau police forces guarding his home had disappeared and asked for help to escape Macau with his mother and younger sister.

The two first met in 2013 in Paris, France, and Kim Han-sol said he knew what kind of activities Hong was involved in regarding North Korea.

Afterwards, Hong asked Christopher Ahn, a Free Joseon member and former U.S. Marine, to meet Kim Han-sol's family at Taipei Airport in Taiwan and check if anyone was following them.

Christopher Ahn met Kim Han-sol's family at Taipei Airport. Hong had told Kim Han-sol that if he called a man wearing a black T-shirt and an LA Dodgers cap "Steve," he would respond as a way to identify each other.

Christopher Ahn, Kim Han-sol, and Kim Han-sol's younger sister communicated in English, with Kim Han-sol and his sister relaying messages to their mother in Korean. Christopher Ahn recalled that Kim Han-sol's sister was fluent in English and seemed like a "typical American teenager."

When Kim Han-sol's mother asked how things were going, Kim Han-sol pointed to Christopher Ahn and said, "I trust Adrian, so I trust him too."

Christopher Ahn took Kim Han-sol's family into an airport lounge with private rooms. Kim Han-sol's sister and mother shared one room, while Christopher Ahn and Kim Han-sol stayed in the adjacent room.

Kim Han-sol also talked to Christopher Ahn about his grandfather, Kim Jong-il, the former Chairman of the National Defense Commission. Later, news came from Hong that they were negotiating with three countries to accept Kim Han-sol's family, and after some time, instructions arrived saying, "One country has agreed to accept Kim Han-sol's family, but buy tickets to Schiphol International Airport on the outskirts of Amsterdam, Netherlands."

When Kim Han-sol's family tried to board the plane and had their tickets checked at the gate, an airline staff suddenly shouted, "You are too late; you cannot board."

Christopher Ahn protested, saying there were still passengers boarding, but it was to no avail, and Kim Han-sol's family returned to the lounge.

A few hours later, two CIA agents appeared in the lounge. One was a Korean-American named Wes, and the other was Caucasian, Christopher Ahn revealed. They requested to speak with Kim Han-sol.

The CIA agents returned the next day with a "much kinder attitude" and helped book tickets for the flight to Amsterdam. The agent named Wes said he would accompany Kim Han-sol's family. Before parting with Kim Han-sol, Christopher Ahn took a selfie with him as "insurance" under Hong's instructions.

Upon arriving at Amsterdam Schiphol International Airport, Kim Han-sol's family exited through a side door connected to an airport hotel, not the official route. Kim Han-sol called Hong and said they were taken out through the "side door."

Hong asked Kim Han-sol if he wanted to apply for refugee status, and after confirming his intention, sent Free Joseon members and a lawyer to the hotel lobby. However, Kim Han-sol never appeared.

Suki Kim explained, "Several sources told me that the CIA took Kim Han-sol and his family to an undisclosed location," adding, "It is unclear whether the place they were taken to was in the Netherlands or another country."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.